Abstract

Primary nutrient status and some related physical properties of the soils of Karnaphuli tea estate, Chittagong.

Author(s): Muhammad Nazrul Islam, Abu Rayhan Mohammad Tareq, M.Shamsuddin Ahmed

The soil samples were collected from six different sections and three topographic positions having different depths from Karnaphuli Tea Estate of Chittagong district, Bangladesh. Active acidity, reserve acidity, buffer capacity, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic carbon (OC), organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorous (AP) and potassium (K) were determined. The parameters have been found to vary with sampling sites, depths and topography. Soils of this studied area were acidic (pH= 4.88) in nature and reserve acidity was 4.19.Most of the soil samples showed high buffer capacity with a few exceptions. The clay content and the cation exchange capacity (CEC) values of the studied soils were found 21.78%and 19.39 meq/100g respectively. Organic carbon and organic matter contents of the soils were found 0.59% and 0.94% respectively.Average value ofTN,KandAP of the soils are 0.09%, 0.11meq/ 100g and 0.02ppmsequentially.Maximumvalues are quite lower than that of the critical value for tea cultivation.