Vol. 10, Issue 11 (2021)

Author(s):
Pradeep and KS Anil Kumar

Abstract:
Nutrient sufficiency is the basis of good health, productive lives and longevity for human hence Understanding soil properties and their productiveness under different land use management have proved to be useful for sustainable development and efficient utilization of limited land resources. The current study seeks to assess sustainability of agricultural land use by identifying the effect of land use change on soil macronutrient status. To understand the effects of land use systems on soil macronutrient status, ten pedons from natural forest and different land use systems of southern Agro-climatic zones of Karnataka were determined. The soils were acidic in reaction, non-saline in nature (free of soluble salts) and low (subsurface soil) to high (surface soil) in organic carbon status. The clay distribution, cation exchange capacity and base saturation of the soils varied from 24.5 to 66.4 per cent, 7.60 to 19.8 cmol (p+) kg^-1 and 4 to 32 per cent, respectively. The macronutrients status of the soil samples indicated that the available nitrogen content varied from low to medium in all the pedons, the soils were low in available phosphorus, low to medium in available potassium and available sulphur.