PHYSICO-CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF SOIL IN PERSPECTIVE OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FROM SUBDIVISION ROUNDU, DISTRICT SKARDU PAKISTAN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53555/eijaer.v9i2.91Keywords:
Agriculture, Roundu, soil fertility, Gilgit Baltistan, physicochemicalAbstract
The study conducted in Sub Division Roundu assessed various soil characteristics, including conductivity, pH, organic
matter, total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, and nutrient content, with a focus on their suitability for plant growth. Soil
samples were collected from different locations for analysis. The conductivity values of the soil ranged from 22.3 to
78.3, with Bilamik having the highest conductivity and Bagardo showing the least electrical conductivity. The areas with
the highest conductivity were Tormik, Bilamik, Harpo, and Gunji. The pH values of the 20 soil samples ranged from 5.1
to 7.4, indicating that the soil pH was suitable for plant growth. Harpo had the highest pH value, while Shout had a
lower pH value. Surprisingly, the soil samples from Sub Division Roundu exhibited a medium level of organic matter,
ranging from 48% to 76%, which is uncommon for Pakistani soil. Tormik and Gunji had the highest organic matter
content, while Bagardo had the lowest. Total dissolved solids (TDS), representing inorganic salts in the soil, ranged
from 9.8 to 32 in the samples. Bagardo had the lowest TDS value, whereas Bilamik showed a high TDS value. The
salinity levels in the soil were generally low, except for minor salinity in soils from Dassu, Dambodas, Khumrah, and
Harbot. However, the study revealed widespread deficiencies in nitrogen and phosphorus content in the soil, with only
marginal amounts of potassium present in some regions like Tormik, Harpo, Gunji, and Bilamik. Around 85% of the soil
samples lacked sufficient nitrogen and phosphorus, while 15% had marginal concentrations. In contrast, potassium was
sufficient in 79.8% of the samples, with 20.2% showing marginal amounts.
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