Vol. 11, Special Issue 6 (2022)

Author(s):
Seema Pooniyan, Sarabdeep Kour, Kiran Kour, Rameshwar Gora, Asha Choudhary and Anita Todawat

Abstract:
Rice is known as silicon (Si) accumulating plant because of its high requirement which contains Si at levels up to 10% of dry matter weight. The present study was conducted to assess the available Si content of important rice growing soils of Jammu plains and its relationship with physico-chemical properties of soil. The chemical analysis of the soil samples show that most soils are generally moderately acidic to moderately alkaline in reaction, with limited salt content. The mean values of organic carbon (g kg^-1) and cation exchange capacity (cmol (p^-1) kg^-1) in rice growing soils of Jammu district were higher with values being, 7.04 and 8.90, followed by Kathua with values as 7.03 and 8.33 and lowest in Samba district, the values being 5.66 and 7.72, respectively. The available Si content in soils varied from 10.1 to 632.0 mg kg^-1 with an overall mean of 233.0 mg kg^-1. Among the districts, the soils of Kathua (261.65) mg kg^-1 showed highest available silicon content followed by Jammu (227.59 mg kg^-1). The highest mean values of available nutrients in Jammu district. The relationship between plant available Si content and soil properties revealed that PA-Si content in soil decreased with increasing sand content and increased with increasing pH, clay content, OC, CEC, available N, P and K content of the soils.