Volume : 6, Issue : 6, June - 2017

SOIL FERTILITY OF PADDY FIELDS IN KUTTANADU WETLAND AGROECOSYSTEM

Smitha Sebastian

Abstract :

<p>&nbsp;<span style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Kuttanadu is a delta region formed through natural reclamation of flood deposits of four rivers - Pamba, Achancovil, Manimala and Meenachil. The landscape composition, structure, management and the regional setting of Kuttanadu are exclusive and praiseworthy. The agriculture of Kuttanadu wetlands is unique because in large areas rice cultivation is being done below the sea level. The present study is an attempt </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">to evaluate the soil fertility status of paddy field soil in Kuttanadu wetland agroecosystem. </span><span style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">The textural analysis showed that type of soil was either silt loam or </span><span style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">sandy loam in the sampling locations. </span><span style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">The pH of the soil samples ranged from 3.01 to 5.94. The organic carbon in the soil samples of Kuttanadu ranged from 1.45 to 5.93% while the available phosphorus content ranged between </span><span style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">33 to 148.5 </span><span style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">kg/ha. The potassium content ranged from </span><span style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">259 to 578 kg</span><span style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">/ha and the inorganic nitrogen content ranged from </span><span style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">363 to 759 kg</span><span style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">/ha. The calcium content ranged between </span><span style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">521 to 893 kg</span><span style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">/ha and magnesium content between </span><span style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">328 to 597 kg</span><span style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">/ha. The geographic feature and complexity of the region and position of agricultural landscapes below mean sea level makes it environmentally exclusive.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><o:p></o:p></p>