Abstract:To assess the ammonium fixation and release pattern in major rice growing soils of Karaikal region a study was conducted in laboratory of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture and Research Institute, Karaikal. The
soils of
major rice growing soil series namely Thirunallar, Karaikal and Pattinam were taken for the study. The different series were examined after adding with different NH
4+ rates viz. 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 ppm. The result revealed that irrespective of soil series, the ammonium fixation increased with increase in N levels. However, the per cent ammonium fixed was found to increase with increase in N levels in Karaikal and Pattinam soil series while decrease was conceded in Thirunallar soil series. Based on the scope of NH
4+ fixation, the soil series could be arranged in the order:
Karaikal soil series > Thirunallar soil series > Pattinam soil series.
The cumulative release of NH4+ fits well into the Cobb-Douglass equation of the form Ŷ = aXb. While comparing the soil series, instant release of NH4+ would be greater in Thirunallar soil series and followed by Karaikal and Pattinam soil series, respectively.