PJB-2022-182
Mapping nitrogen status in soil and foliage of cotton producing area of southern Punjab, Pakistan
Ejaz Rafique, S.M. Gill, Humair Ahmed, Ghulam Sabir Hussain and M.M. Raza
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is deficient in more than ninety percent soils of Pakistan. Nitrogen deficiency and poor management causes yield losses in most of the crops in Pakistan therefore its efficient management is vital for ensuring optimum crop production. A field survey was conducted for mapping NO3-N content in soils and total N content in the foliage of cotton producing area using geo-statistics and GIS as diagnostic tools. Seventy geo-referenced soil samples were collected from the surface soil (0-15cm depth) along with associated foliage samples. Our results indicated that bioavailable NO3-N content in soil ranged from 3.43-14.24 µg g−1 with the mean of 8.47 µg g−1. Thirteen out of 16 soil series were categorized as deficient (< 11 µg g-1) in plant available NO3-N. Nitrogen content in the foliage ranged from 2.44–4.55%, with a mean of 3.52%. Forty-three percent of total analyzed plant samples were categorized as N deficient. Moderate to strong spatial dependence of NO3-N in the soil and foliage provided an opportunity to prepare digital maps for classifying the whole area into various zones. Generated maps indicating differential nutrient status of cotton producing area provide regional scale information. This information will be helpful for future studies on site-specific nutrient management
To Cite this article:
Rafique, E., S.M. Gill, H. Ahmed, G.S. Hussain and M.M. Raza. 2023. Mapping nitrogen status in soil and foliage of cotton producing area of southern Punjab, Pakistan. Pak. J. Bot., 55(6): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2023-6(28)
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