Vol. 10, Issue 11 (2021)

Author(s):
Pradeep and KS Anil Kumar

Abstract:
The mineral elements like Zn, Fe and Cu are as crucial for human health as organic compounds such as carbohydrates, fats, protein and vitamins but unscientific land use and cropping techniques have led high soil erosion and degradation of soil quality which cause soil micronutrient deficiency. Hence to understand the effects of land use systems on soil micronutrients 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 (sub-surface 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. Among the DTPA extractable micronutrients, iron and manganese were in sufficient range in most soils, except in central dry zone due alkaline soil reaction. Available copper and zinc were sufficient. The available micronutrients content was found to decrease with increasing the depth of the soils in most soils of different land use systems.