Silica and Phosphate Profiles of Alkali Soils Following Reclamation

Soil profiles from three prominent sites, representing Zarifa Viran and Dilip Nagar series, were collected from unreclaimed and reclaimed alkali lands to study the distribution of water soluble Si in the profile and its relation with water soluble and Olsen's P and extractable Fe and Mn. Solubility of silica was found to be pH dependent. Silica was positively correlated with water soluble and Olsen's P and extractable Fe but negatively correlated with extractable Mn. Silica losses through the profile were more under agroforestry system as compared to the arable cropping system.