Effect of Amendments on Pomegranate (Punica granatum) in Calcareous and Non-calcareous Alkali Soils

To study the comparative effect of gypsum, pyrite and sulphitatian cane filter cake (SCFC) on establishment of pomegranate and soil properties, a pot experiment was conducted for 15 months on an alkali soil (initial pH₂ 10.0) from the experimental farm Gudha of CSSRI, Karnal. Fourteen treatment combinations included two soils calcareous with 10% CaCO₃ granules and non-calcareous (without CaCO₃ granules) and two levels (50% and 75% gypsum, requirement) of three amendments (gypsum, pyrite and SCFC) and non-amended control replicated three times in a CRD design. The biomass accumulated by pomegranate in 15 months was significantly higher in non-calcareous than in calcareous soil. SCFC proved much superior in increasing growth and biomass of pomegranate than gypsum and pyrite treatments. In general, pomegranate performed better in gypsum than pyrite-treated soil and the unamended treatment was significantly inferior. Mean concentration of P, K, Ca, Mg and S in the harvested biomass was significantly higher in case of SCFC treatment than in case of gypsum and pyrite treatments. Sodium concentration in leaf, branch, stem and root of pomegranate was minimum in SCFC and maximum when no amendments were applied. Soil pH decreased significantly with the addition of amendments, being maximum with SCFC followed by gypsum and pyrite. Both gypsum and pyrite decreased soil salinity significantly whereas SCFC resulted in many fold increase in EC of the soil. Organic carbon, available P and K were almost same in no amendment, gypsum and pyrite treatments, whereas there was many fold increase in their contents in SCFC treatments. This pot trial established superiority of SCFC over gypsum and pyrite as an amendment for establishing pomegranate in alkali soils. However, further field scale evaluations are suggested before making recommendations.