College of Agriculture, Banaras Hindu University, Banaras, U. P.
Soil profile samples from alkali soil region and adjacent fields were analysed for total and available molybdenum contents. The alkali profiles were from virgin lands, while adjoining profiles from cultivated ones.
A significant positive correlation was found between the total and available molybdenum contents in both the soil types. In alkali soils, a significant positive correlation was found between pH and available molybdenum content while no such relation was found for the adjoining cultivated soils. Available molybdenum content showed a significant negative correlation with total phosphorus and finer fractions in alkali soils, while such a relation was not found between them in adjoining cultivated soil profiles. A significant negative correlation was found between total molybdenum content and sesquioxides in the soil in both the types.
