Electrochemical, Mineral and Microbiological studies of soil samples collected from three different altitudinal climatic zones in Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Seventy five surface (10

â€15 cm) soil samples from three different altitudinal climatic zones viz., Kodaikanal (temp 9â€13°C, altitudinal height 2133 m, black soil), Valparai (temp 15â€22°C, altitudinal height 1700 m, clay loam soil) and Sethumadai (temp 27â€33°C, altitudinal height 100 m, red sandy soil) of Tamil Nadu were collected and analyzed for their pH, Electron Conductivity (EC), Organic Carbon (OC%), Humus, macro and micronutrients. Soil enzyme activities such as protease, alkaline phosphatase, cellulase, invertase, soil microbial enumeration such as total bacterial count, fungi, rhizobium and actinomycetes were also determined by following standard procedures. The soil was acidic and high content of OC (2.12%), humus (396 mg Kgâ€1), N (474.1±30 mg Kgâ€1), P (52.92±6 mg Kgâ€1), K (163.7±20 mg Kgâ€1), Ca (545.2±25 mg Kgâ€1), S (25.35±13 mg Kgâ€1), B (0.95±2 mg Kgâ€1), Cu (2.38±0.9 mg Kgâ€1), Fe (32.54±14 mg Kgâ€1), Mn (9.44±7 mg Kgâ€1) and Zn (3.58±1 mg Kgâ€1) were recorded in soil samples collected from Kodaikanal. Most of the soil samples collected from Kodaikanal recorded maximum macro and micronutrients except Na (79.81±10 mg Kgâ€1) and Mg (124.81±20 mg Kgâ€1) when compared with Valparai and Sethumadai. Soil enzyme activity and microbial count were also high in soil samples collected from Kodaikanal followed by Valparai and Sethumadai, whereas actinomycetes (4±1 CFU x 10â€6 gâ€1) count was high in Sethumadai of lower altitude. The study revealed that the activity of soil microbial population was high at higher altitude due to the presence of high content OC (2.82%) and quick decomposition of organic matter. The quality of soil was subjected to circular paper chromatographic analysis and it revealed difference in colour, pattern and the number of spikes were the indicators of soil fertility.