Physico-chemical Assessment of Soil Quality of Selected Mango Orchards of Dehradun District (Uttarakhand), India

The present study is an attempt to analyze soil nutrition for farming suitability in the orchards of Dehradun. In this study, the physico-chemical analysis was carried out by analyzing important parameters namely pH, electrical conductivity (EC), available nitrogen, available phosphorous, available potassium, organic carbon (OC), and organic matter (OM). Soil samples were collected during the winter season (January-February) and summer (May-June) from selected orchards of Dehradun and compared with the standard value. The range of soil parameters recorded during winter season (pH: 6.2-7.76, EC: 0.08-0.68 ds/m, N: 178.75-413.95 kg/ha, P: 53.86-84.63 kg/ha, K: 98.74-157.5 kg/ha, OC: 1.23-3.78%, OM: 2.12-6.51%) and summer season (pH: 6.1-7.84, EC: 0.10-0.19 ds/m, N: 175.5-282.54 kg/ha, P: 46-65 kg/ha, K: 103.25-189.0 kg/ha, OC: 1.10-2.92%, OM: 1.89-4.96%) were observed. The parameters met soil quality standards except available P, OC, and OM. Available P, OC, and OM recorded higher than permissible limits. Reduction in selected soil parameters except available phosphorus was observed in the summer season, emphasizing the need for effective nutrition management to sustain soil quality. . KEYWORDS :Available nitrogen, Available phosphorous, Available potassium, Electrical conductivity, Organic carbon, Organic matter, pH