1Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar-190025, Jammu & Kashmir(India)
2Division of Soil Science, Faculty of Horticulture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar-190025, Jammu & Kashmir(India)
Almond (Prunus amygdalus Batsch.) is one of the oldest and most widely cultivated tree nut crop in the world. In India, Jammu and Kashmir accounts for about 91.26% of the total almond production. Over the past few decades, increasing vehicle mobility and industrialization, including emissions from brick kilns, have contributed to a rise in heavy metal concentrations in soils. The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the concentration of heavy metals and beneficial microbial populations in almond growing soils of Budgam and Pulwama districts of Kashmir. A total of forty composite soil samples, comprising twenty samples from each district, were collected from the surface layer (0–30 cm depth). The results revealed that the soils of both districts were predominantly silty loam to clay loam in texture and exhibited neutral to slightly alkaline reaction. The electrical conductivity of soils in both districts was within the normal range. However, organic carbon status ranged from low to medium while the CaCO3 content was found higher in Budgam soils compared to Pulwama soils. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) of soils in district Budgam ranged from 8.4 to 15.7 cmol (p⁺) kg⁻¹, whereas in district Pulwama it ranged from 6.4 to 16.8 cmol (p⁺) kg⁻¹. The soils in Budgam revealed heavy metal concentrations (mg kg⁻¹) in the order: Fe (9.40–20.60) > Ni (1.11–2.52) > Cu (0.55–1.49) > Co (0.59–1.47) > Pb (0.78–1.62) > Cr (0.67–1.50) > Cd (0.12–0.23). Similarly, soils in Pulwama showed the order: Fe (6.40–18.90) > Ni (1.02–2.65) > Cu (0.59–1.76) > Co (0.65–1.62) > Pb (0.86–1.67) > Cr (0.69–1.42) > Cd (0.11–0.21) mg kg⁻¹. The soils of both Budgam and Pulwama districts exhibited heavy metal concentrations below critical toxicity limits, along with appreciable microbial populations dominated by ZnSB, and considerable dehydrogenase and β–galactosidase activities, indicating biologically active soils. Overall, the soils of both Budgam and Pulwama districts were found to be healthy, biologically active and suitable for sustainable almond cultivation under the prevailing environmental conditions.
Almond growing soils, Heavy metals, Soil beneficial microbes, Soil properties.
