Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Soil Science and Biochemistry, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, 751 003.
* Present address: Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vishva Vidyalaya, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, 741 235.
Studies on distribution of various fractions of soil zinc in forty laterite soils (Haplustalfs) from rice-growing areas of Orissa was conducted. Total zinc which ranged from 157 to 237 mg kg−1 soil was fractionated into water soluble plus exchangeable (WSEX-Zn), organic complexed (OC-Zn), amorphous sesquioxide (AMOX-Zn), crystalline sesqufoxide (CRYOX-Zn) and residual zinc. The last fraction constituted highest percentage (94.0%) of the total zinc. Correlation study indicated that these fractions were in a state of dynamic equilibrium and were influenced by clay, organic carbon, CEC and free Fe2O3 content.
Zinc fractions, rice-growing soils
