Vol. 11, Issue 4 (2022)

Author(s):
Pawan Kumar, Nandini Chongtham, Herojit Singh Athokpam, Naorem Brajendra Singh, Athokpam Sanatomba and Naorem Gopimohan Singh

Abstract:
A total of 20 soil samples (0-15 cm depth) were collected from different cultivated paddy fields of Imphal-East district of Manipur using Stratified Random Sampling with the objectives to evaluate the status and different forms of zinc in the soils and also to evaluate the relationship between some physico-chemical properties of the soils with the various fractions of zinc. The soils were acidic in nature with pH varied from 5.01 to 6.08, electrical conductivity 0.04 to 0.18 dSm^-1, organic carbon 8.28 to 23.77 g kg^-1, cation exchange capacity 12.59 to 23.75 [cmol(p+)kg^-1]. All the studied soils were clay in textural class. Sand content varied from 8.61% to 25.35%, silt content 22.73% to 38.95%, and clay content ranged from 43.50% to 66.92%. The DTPA available zinc content ranged from 0.66-1.70 mg kg^-1. The DTPA extractable zinc showed a positive and significant correlation with EC, OC, CEC and available nitrogen; positive but non-significant with available potassium and clay. A negative and significant correlation was also found of available zinc with soil pH and available phosphorous. The distribution of Zn fractions present in the soil with average concentration were in the following order: WSEX-Zn (0.43mg kg^-1) < CRYOX-Zn (1.43 mg kg^-1) < MnOX-Zn (2.08 mg kg^-1) < AMOX-Zn (3.14mg kg^-1) < OCx-Zn (3.18 mg kg^-1) < Res-Zn (91.36 mg kg^-1). The correlation study of fractions of zinc with soil properties, a positive correlation was found with EC, OC, CEC, available N, available K and clay content and a negative correlation was found with pH, available P and sand content. Different zinc fractions of soil were found to be significantly correlated amongst themselves. An application of zinc enhances the total dry matter, zinc content and zinc uptake by the maize crop plant.