Correlation between physico-chemical attributes of Rhizospheric soils from agricultural fields of semi-arid Kachchh, Gujarat, Western India

Agriculture worldwide relies significantly on the quality of soil and water. This becomes particularly challenging in arid regions, given that salinity or sodicity poses additional issues. PGPR are common inhabitants that colonize plant roots and enhance yield by producing plant growth regulators. With this background, the present study was designed to assess the physico-chemical and microbiological attributes of soils from agricultural fields of different taluka of Kachchh, Gujarat, India. A total of 34 soil samples were collected during pre and post-monsoon seasons and characterized for various physico-chemical properties including nutrients. The study revealed that the mean values of N, P, and K during pre and post-monsoon season were 4.95%, 47.16 mg/kg, 119.62 mg/kg and 5.20%, 53.67 mg/kg, and 180.45 mg/kg respectively. The maximum chloride concentration in the soil was 2917.40 mg/kg during the pre-monsoon season was reflected in the salinity status (5.27 ppt). Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated to understand the relationship between the physico-chemical properties.