Effect of weather variability on soil temperature, enzyme activities and nutrient availability under pear tree orchard in semi arid condition

Abstract

The present study was conducted to quantify the effect of weather variability on soil temperature, enzyme activities and nutrient availability in arid soil under semi arid condition of Bathinda district of Punjab. In this context, soil samples were collected on weekly basis for three consecutive years (2016-2018) randomly from pear tree (Pyrus communis L.) orchard at three depths: 0-5 cm (top), 5-15 cm (middle) and 15-30 cm (lower), while, soil temperature observations for the respective depths were taken. The value of organic carbon content in soil decreased with increase in soil depth and reported 24 and 40 per cent lower organic carbon in middle and lower depths, respectively. Similarly, K content was also found more at 0-5 cm soil depths and decreased with depth. While, the value of dehydrogenase, acid and alkaline phosphatase and P was found more at 5-15 cm soil depth. Furthermore, nutrients (P and K) availability was found slightly higher in 2017 followed by 2018 and 2016. Alternatively, due to more moderate to heavy rainfall activities during 2016, soil nutrients were leached down from upper layers than rest years. Additionally, among the soil depths and years of study, soil temperature was watched higher than air temperature. Lesser deviations in soil enzyme activities and nutrient availability were found during the investigation year of 2016 followed by 2017 and 2018, likewise, lesser deviations were additionally found in 2016 than rest of the years in regard of weather parameters. Among soil depths and years of study, correlation coefficient (r) value between air and soil temperature was found positive and significant at 1% probability level. However, In respect of bright sunshine and rainfall vs. soil temperature, non-significant but positive correlation was found except 2018 for rainfall which was significant.