Assessment of Soil Health and Soil Quality of Bokaro, District, Jharkhand, India

Abstract

Taking care of soil health is most importance for sustainable crop production. Soil quality is a blending of soil processes and provides to a measure change in soil condition as related to following factors such as land use, climate patterns, cropping sequences and farming systems.  In the present investigation analysis of different physical and chemical characteristics were made to determine soil health of Bokaro district. Results show that soil bulk density was in normal range, soil pore space % varied from 39.85 to 48.32 g cm-3, particle density ranged from 2.24 to 2.69 Mg m-3, water holding capacity varied from 34.23 to 43.86 %. Soil pH and EC were found to be acidic and non-saline in nature respectively while soil organic carbon and available phosphorus were in medium to high range. Available nitrogen and potassium were found to be low to medium range i.e., 197.0 to 219.0 Kg ha - 1 and 201.96 to 266.01 Kg ha -1 and the range of phosphorus varied from 16.96 to 26.68 kg ha -1 respectively. Deficiency of sulphur followed by zinc was found in soils of Bokaro district.