ABSTRACT
486Soil fertility status of Jamtara district of Jharkhand was evaluated and mapped using Geographic Information System (GIS) environment based on the geo-referenced database generated through the analysis of seven thousand two hundred nine (7209) composite surface (0–20 cm) soil samples collected at 500 m grid interval from six blocks (Fatehpur, Jamtara, Karmatarn, Kundahit, Nala and Narayanpur) of the district using Global Positioning System (GPS). Soils were analyzed for pH, organic carbon, available phosphorous, potassium and sulfur, DTPA extractable zinc, copper, iron and manganese and hot water soluble boron with standard procedures. Data reveal that soils of majority area (52.8 to 85.6%) of all the blocks are strongly to extremely acidic (pH < 5.5). The organic carbon and available phosphorus content of the soils are low in majority area of all the blocks in the district. Aerial extension of low content of organic carbon (<0.50%) and available phosphorus (<10 kg ha−1) varied from 56.6 to 80.1% and 50.8 to 84.6% area in different blocks, respectively. Available contents of potassium and sulfur are found to be low in 28.1 and 24.4% area of the district, respectively. Deficiency in available contents of zinc (DTPA extractable) and boron (hot water soluble) are also observed in 44.6 and 29.1% area of the district, respectively. It is evident that soil acidity is an “inherent/ core problem” of the soils which may be responsible for soil degradation and therefore warrants for amelioration of the same on priority. The low 487content of organic matter and available phosphorus along with moderate contents of available potassium and sulfur as well as deficiency of zinc and boron certainly reflects in general poor fertility status of the district and thus requires adequate soil management practices on priority towards optimizing agricultural production on sustainable basis. Land resource inventorying on 1:10,000 scale (detailed soil survey) will be of immense importance towards identification of site and situation specific problem areas for agricultural land use planning for the district.
