Soil Health Indicators of Rhizospheric Soils of apple (Malus Domestica Borkh.) Variety Delicious in Himalayan Kashmir

Malik Sajad Ahmad¹, M. Y. Zargar², Muneeb Ahmad Wani³, Sartaj Ahmad Wani⁴ and Shaheena Kausar⁴   

¹Division of Basic Sciences and Humanities, Wadura, Sopore, Baramulla, 193201.

²Directorate of Research, SKUAST-K, Shalimar, Srinagar, 190025.

³Division of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, SKUAST-K, Shalimar, Srinagar,190025.

⁴Division of NRM, SKUAST-K, Wadura, Sopore, Baramulla, 193201.

Corresponding Author E-mail: malik.sajadahmad@yahoo.com

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/bbra/2462

ABSTRACT: Rhizospheric soils are rich sources of nutrients, enzymes, proteins, beneficial microbes responsible for sustainable growth of the plants. They supply principal elements to the plant and also promote microbial activity in the soil and improve its structure, aeration, and water holding capacity, which in turn improve the soil capabilities to respond to inputs. This discourse deals with the evaluation of thirty composite soil samples collected from different apple orchards of Baramulla district of Kashmir valley and analyzed for soil characteristics (organic carbon content, total available N, P, K, S; EC, pH, total viable bacterial, fungal and actinomycetes count) which in turn were used as chemical and microbial indicators of rhizospheric soil health of apple orchards in Himalayan Kashmir. It was observed that the soil characteristics were significantly correlated.

KEYWORDS: available N; composite soil sample; K; organic carbon; P; rhizosphere; S

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