Nutrient status of termite mound soil and surrounding soil
2012
Sunitha, S. | Miranda, M. T. P. | Biji, G.D.
The present study was undertaken to assess the nutrient status of termite mound soil and compare it with the surrounding soil. The termites selected for the study were Odontotermes obesus (Desneus), O. brunneus (Hagen)and O.redemanni (Wasmann). The coarse sand, fine sand, silt and clay contents of the mound soil were higher than the surrounding soil. The waterholding capacity of mound soil was also higher than the surrounding soil. Similar was the case with the organic matter content. Percentage of nitrogen, calcium, potassium and sodium content the mound soil were higher than surrounding soil. Iron and phosphorus were higher in mound soil. The student ‘t’ test was employed to compare the termite modified soil and surrounding soil. The study revealed that the subsoil was mostly used for construction of mounds. The fine texture of mound soil permitted capillary movement of water there by bringing soluble salts to the surface. Besides, organic debris assimilated during foraging and excreted as faecal matter together with saliva was incorporated with the soil during nest construction resulting in a higher nutrient level of the termite modified soil. The study reiterates the fact that termite modified soil has a higher fertility index thus making it a cheap and ecofriendly fertilizer.
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