Characterization of Sewage-water-irrigated and Non-irrigated Soils in Nag River Ecosystem of Nagpur, Maharashtra

The sewage-water-irrigated and adjoining non-irrigated soils (three pedons in each group) along Nag river of Nagpur district, Maharashtra were studied for their morphological, physical and chemical (including heavy metals) as well as microbial characteristics. The surface horizons of sewage-water-irrigated soils were darker than non-irrigated ones. The sewage-water-irrigated soils, in general, had higher pH, organic carbon and CaCO₃. Surface horizons of soils (irrigated/non-irrigated) had higher concentrations of DTPA-extractable Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn and these exhibited a decrease with depth. In general, sewage-water-irrigated soils are associated with relatively higher concentration of DTPA-Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr and Cd as compared to the corresponding non-irrigated soils but reverse was the trend observed in case of microbial counts (bacteria, actinomycetes, Azotobacter and fungi barring few exceptions).