Mapping of Micronutrients in Soils of Kishtwar District (Jammu and Kashmir) - A GIS Approach

A study was conducted to evaluate the status of DTPA extractable micronutrients of Kishtwar district soils and generate their prediction maps. The Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir covers an area of 7737 sq. km. and falls in the temperate zone of the state. It is an upland valley in the northeast corner of the Jammu region. A total of 167 soil samples were collected from the entire Kishtwar district in a stratified random manner. The digitization and generation of maps were carried out with ArcGIS 10.0 software following Inverse distance weight (IDW). DTPA-Zn content of soils of Kishtwar varied widely as low as 0.13 mg Zn kg-1 and as high as 1.6 mg Zn kg-1 with a mean value of 0.64 mg Zn kg-1. DTPA ranged from 0.11 mg Cu kg-1 to 2.3 mg Cu kg-1 with a mean value of 0.77 mg Cu kg-1. DTPA-Fe ranged from 5.40 mg Fe kg-1 to 42.4 mg Fe kg-1, with a mean value of 22.05 mg Fe kg-1. DTPA- Mn ranged from 7.4 mg Mn kg-1 to 36.2 mg Mn kg-1 with a mean value of 18.59 mg Mn kg-1. Available boron (B) ranged from 0.05 to 3.6 ppm with a mean value of 0.70 ppm. Among micronutrients tested, Cu, Zn and B were mainly deficient; a regular supply of organic matter and pH correction is advised. Micronutrient deficiency and erosion are major hindrances in the agriculture of the district. The spatial maps on micronutrient status created throughout the study will be useful for farmers or researchers for the site-specific repair of nutrient deficiency and for assisting farmers in choosing the amount and type of nutrient to apply for the best results.