Assessment of soil micronutrients from a mango based agroecology of Malihabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

A sum of 250 soil samples were collected from mango based agroecology of Malihabad region, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh to assess the status of soil micronutrients integrated with the nutrient, water, space and canopy management for improving productivity of subtropical fruits. Notable differences were observed in case of Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe content within and across mango orchards. Histogram distribution showed Zn and Cu content in the maximum frequency range of 0.5 to 1.0 and 1.5 to 3.0 mg kg respectively while Mn was evenly distributed in 3.0 to 6.0 mg kg range. In contrast, Fe distribution was scattered. A range of 0.45–1.23, 1.47–2.91, 2.86–11.13 and 4.9–15.2 mg kg Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe respectively across different mango sites were estimated. In the case of major nutrients (NPK), the frequency distribution of P and K indicated widely spread while N was confined to a smaller distribution range. Soil reaction (pH) was mostly found near neutral to slightly alkaline in nature. The ecological significance of this study indicated the need for proper nutrient management. Such information may be useful for conserving the mango based agroecology for future endeavor through the adoption of optimized micronutrient management technologies.