Distribution of available micronutrients in tea garden soils of Assam
2025
The quality of tea made with green tea leaves depends on the nutrient uptake by the tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) bushes and available nutrients content of the soils under tea plantations comprising major and micronutrients. The current study was undertaken to determine the distribution and variation of available (DTPA-extractable) micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn and B) in tea garden soils of some tea growing zones of Assam. A total of 162 soil samples collected from nine tea fields of six tea estates each, under five different tea growing zones and three depths (0-15, 15-30 and 30-45cm) were analysed by standard methods. Means of available Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn and hot water-soluble boron (HWS-B) contents of soils in the studied tea gardens varied from 0.98 to 1.65; 0.80 to 1.94; 49.98 to 92.17; 3.01 to 13.77 and 0.16 to 0.35 mg kg-1, respectively. These variations of available micronutrients across different tea growing zones were statistically significant. Further, all studied micronutrients except HWS-B exhibited significant variation in three different soil depths. The available Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn and B showed highly significant and positive correlation with soil organic carbon (r=0.51**; 0.69*; 0.69**; 0.69**; 0.50** and 0.18*, respectively). Similarly, available Zn and Cu positively and significantly correlated with CEC of the soils (r=0.22** and 0.18*, respectively).
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