Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, J. N. Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, 482 004
*Corresponding author (Email: rishi_soilscience@rediffmail.com)
1Present address: Project Coordinator (LTFE), Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal
Online published on 9 May, 2012.
The present investigation was conducted during 2006–07, under the ongoing All India Coordinated Research Project on Long-term Fertilizer Experiment with soybean-wheat-maize fodder cropping sequence, since 1972 at J. N. K. V. V., Jabalpur. The study attempted to find out the effect of continuous application of different agricultural inputs on the depth-wise distribution of available micronutrient cations in a Typic Haplustert (Vertisol). The Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu contents were relatively higher in surface soil (0–20 cm) and their contents continued to decrease with increasing soil depth, amongst all the treatments. The study reveled that except Zn all other micronutrient cations are not limiting the crop production even after 35 years of intensive cropping with continuous application of various agricultural inputs. The incorporation of FYM along with NPK resulted in increase in concentrations of Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn. The lowest values of Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu were recorded in no-crop control plot (fallow strip - T11) at all the soil depths. Soil pH was negatively correlated, while soil organic carbon and CaCO, contents registered a positive correlation with content of different micronutrient in the soil profile.
DTPA-extractable micronutrients, distribution pattern, Vertisols, long-term fertilizer and manurial experiment
