Physico-chemical analysis of soils of Cholistan desert [Pakistan]
1999
Ashraf, M. | Bukhari, S.M.M. (Islamia Univ., Bahawalpur (Pakistan). Dept. of Chemistry) | Shahid, S.A. | Azad, M.A.
Soil samples from 3-6 inches depth were collected at 8 different locations from Cholistan desert during and expedition in November 1997. Physico-chemical analysis by standard methods revealed the following information as; electrical conductivity as 211 plus minus 25.63 Mew S/cm, pH as 8.72 plus minus 0.09, total alkalinity as 5.36 plus minus 1.63, bicarbonate content 91.44 plus minus 6.8 MEq/L, chloride content 1.12 plus minus 0.25 MEq/L, sulphate as 212.49 plus minus 23.26 MEq/L, Na as 12.12 plus minus 1.66 MEq/L, K as 11.83 plus minus 5.06 MEq/L, Ca as 0.62 plus minus 0.097 MEq/L and Mg as 1.00 plus minus 0.17 MEq/L. Carbonate and orthophosphate were not detected by the employed methods. The amount of organic matter was 1.035 plus minus 0.167 percent with total nitrogen content of 0.047 plus minus 0.01 percent. When soil samples were subjected to metal analysis by atomic absorption spectroscopy, sub- optimal levels of all four studied metals (in ppm) were found, i.e., Cu was 0.079 plus minus 0.022, Fe was 1.808 plus minus 0.316, Mn was 1.653 plus minus 0.212 and Zn was 0.0363 plus minus 0.007. These lower levels of essential metals indicate lower demands of these metals by the desert vegetation.
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