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Soil Science

Agriculture is mainly dependent on the soil and the climate. Soil may be defined as a thin layer on the earth crust which serves as a natural medium for the growth of the plants, composed of mineral and organic materials and living forms. Soil science mainly comprises of soil chemistry, soil physics, pedology and soil fertilility. Soils of Phek district are acidic in nature and are sandy clay to clay loam.

1. SOIL OF PHEK DISTRICT

Geology :

Jaintia series and Disang series

Barail series and simsang formation

Agro-ecological Zone :

Warm per humid hyperthermic with red lateritic soil.

Physiography :

Denudational Hill slope

Soil orders :

Inceptisol

Ultisol

Entisol

Subgroup :

Typic Drystrochrepts

Typic Haplumbrepts

Humic Hapludults

Typic Hapludults

Typic Paleudults

Black Soils : 36468ha

Red Soils : 24312 ha

Alluvial Soils : 18234ha

Sandy Soils : 6078ha

Red late rite Soils : 117508 ha

Saline and alkaline Soils : Not Present

Acid Soils : Present

Soil fertility status (in general) : Medium

SOIL MAP OF PHEK DISTRICT

2. FARMING SYSTEM AND MAJOR FARM ENTERPRISES:

Agro-ecological situation (AES) have been identified on the basis of Soils, Rainfall, Physiography, Altitude, Irrigation pattern and Temperature and identified AESs have been classified into the homogeneous farming situations for the district Phek, Nagaland. Identified farming situations grouped as Farming systems are being furnished in the following table.

Farming System	Soils	Rainfall (cm/annum)	Altitude(M)	Principal Crops/breeds	Important features	Location Area(ha)
Zabo system (Integrated Farming system)	Clay loam to clay	150- 170	1500- 1800	Forest cover, Paddy, Maize,Beans, Pea, Cowpea, Arhar, Nagadal, Cabbage Banana, Pear, Peach, Plum, Garlic, Potato, Buffalo, Cattle and Fish	Integration of different components, viz. Forestry, Cereals, Pulses, Vegetable, Livestock and Fisheries	Kirkuma R D Block (6500 ha)
Agrisilvihortipastural farming system	Sandy loam, to Clay loam	180-200	1500-2000	Forest & Fodder trees like Ficus spp, Bauhinia spp., Legistroma etc., Fodder grasses like Broom grass, Napier etc.Maize Banana, Pear, Peach, Plum, Mandarin, Passion fruit Mithun, Cattle	Integration of forest, fodder crops, fruit trees and Livestock	Pfutsero, Chozuba and Meluri sub-divisions(13,500 ha)
Alder based farming	Loam	160-180	1000-1600	Maize, Millets, Job’s tears, Potato Chillies, Pumpkin Mandarin, Passion fruit Large cardamom Tea	Replenishing the nitrogen requirement of the crops with Alder trees	Pfutsero, Chozuba and Meluri sub-divisions(5,600 ha)
Jhum(Agri+Horti)	Sandy loam to loam	160-180	1000-1600	Jhum Paddy, Maize, Millets, Banana, Papaya, Beans, Cowpea, Chow chow Pea, Garlic, Potato, Cabbage	Slash and burn the vegetation and now jhuming cycle has reduced to 3-6 yrs from 15-25yrs	In entire district (22,500 ha)
Pani-kheti System	Clay loam to clay	150-180	600-1400	Paddy, Pea, Summer vegetables, Fish	Paddy cum fish farming	Entire district (13,520 ha)

3. THRUST AREAS

Sl.No.	Identified thrust areas
1.	Introduction of biofertilizers e.g.Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, Blue green algae, Azolla for nutrient management.
2.	Soil and seed treatment of biofertilizer.
3.	Adoption of Integrated nutrient management to maintain the fertility status of soil.
4.	As the soil is widely eroded in this district, so adoption of soil erosion control measures through biological measures.
5.	Use of traditional or indigenous additives for organic farming viz. FYM, composted manure, green manures, crop residues as soil mulch etc as an integral part of soil fertility management.
6.	Management of acid soils.
7.	Introduction of vermicomposting.

4. NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF SOIL

SOIL DATA

Soil Sample	pH	OC(%)	OM	N(kg/ha)	P(kg/ha)	K(kg/ha)	Ca(meq/ha)	Mg(meq/ha)	S(ppm)
Porba	4.56	0.9	1.55	165	28.0	118	0.49	0.28	24.3
Sakraba	4.73	1.02	1.73	199	9.15	133	0.48	0.36	26
Pholami	4.66	0.96	1.38	165	7.25	117	0.47	0.42	32

5. SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS TILL DATE WITH PICTURES

I) OFT

OFT on INOCULATION OF AZOLLA (Azolla caroliniana) IN LOWLAND PADDY:

Organic farming system aims at cultivating and raising crops, which at the same time keeping the soil fertile and in good health by the use of organic wastes i.e., crop residue, animal and farm waste, aquatic waste and other biological material along with beneficial microbes i.e., biofertilisers to release nutrients to crops for increasing production in an eco-friendly, pollution free environment. Azolla, a small free floating water fern which supplements nitrogen to rice crop by fixing atmospheric nitrogen in the soil for crop growth, crop production and maintenance of soil fertility at the same time, is available naturally on moist soils, water surface of flooded rice fields, small ponds in Phek district. Farmers here were ignorant of the importance and benefits of Azolla. They considered Azolla as weeds and cleared azolla from their paddy fields. They were sensitized on the immense benefits of azolla through training programmes conducted in several villages. A trial on inoculation of azolla (Azolla caroliniana) in lowland paddy was conducted at Porba village. For this trial, small bed of the size 3x2x1 m is made in the field and only 10-15 cm standing water is allowed in the ponds. Fresh Azolla of about 400gm is mixed and spread in the beds for further growth and multiplication of Azolla. Azolla multiplies rapidly and form a thick mat in just 2 weeks. This Azolla is harvested and released in the transplanted rice field for further multiplication, as dual cropping with rice for fixing nitrogen to rice crop.

The results showed that inoculation of Azolla in lowland paddy increased the yield over the control. Highest yield (18.21 qtl/ha), No.of tillers per plant (13/plant), No.of grains per earhead (221.2/earhead) compared to control (12.38qtl/ha) No. of tillers per plant (6.6/plant), No.of grains per earhead (157.8/earhead).

After knowing the importance of Azolla such as fixing of nitrogen, suppressing the weed growth, as a feed for pig,duck and fish and after seeing the performance of Azolla on the paddy yield, the farmers are now aware of the importance of Azolla. Therefore, FLD programme on inoculation of azolla (azolla caroliniana) in lowland paddy for the session 2009-10 is taken up in Gidemi and Porba village.

1. Rhizobium seed treatment on Soybean Var, JS-335(2007-08):

Results showed that application of biofertilizer increased the yield over the control. Highest yield (2766.66 kg/ha), B:C ratio (2:45), No.of pods per plant (40.13/plant), No.of seeds per pod(3.2/pod) compared to control(2400kg/ha) B:C ratio (2.13).

2. Effect of Vermicompost on maize yield(2008-09):

Results showed that application of Vermicompost(Eisenia foetida) increased the yield over the control. Highest yield (7060kg/ha), B:C ratio (2.24), No. of cobs per plant (2.4/plant) Net Return (Profit) in Rs. 782 / unit compared to control yield (6780kg/ha), B:C ratio (2.15).

3. OFT on INOCULATION OF AZOLLA (Azolla caroliniana) IN LOWLAND PADDY:

Organic farming system aims at cultivating and raising crops, which at the same time keeping the soil fertile and in good health by the use of organic wastes i.e., crop residue, animal and farm waste, aquatic waste and other biological material along with beneficial microbes i.e., biofertilisers to release nutrients to crops for increasing production in an eco-friendly, pollution free environment. Azolla, a small free floating water fern which supplements nitrogen to rice crop by fixing atmospheric nitrogen in the soil for crop growth, crop production and maintenance of soil fertility at the same time, is available naturally on moist soils, water surface of flooded rice fields, small ponds in Phek district. Farmers here were ignorant of the importance and benefits of Azolla. They considered Azolla as weeds and cleared azolla from their paddy fields. They were sensitized on the immense benefits of azolla through training programmes conducted in several villages. A trial on inoculation of azolla (Azolla caroliniana) in lowland paddy was conducted at Porba village. For this trial, small bed of the size 3x2x1 m is made in the field and only 10-15 cm standing water is allowed in the ponds. Fresh Azolla of about 400gm is mixed and spread in the beds for further growth and multiplication of Azolla. Azolla multiplies rapidly and form a thick mat in just 2 weeks. This Azolla is harvested and released in the transplanted rice field for further multiplication, as dual cropping with rice for fixing nitrogen to rice crop.

The results showed that inoculation of Azolla in lowland paddy increased the yield over the control. Highest yield (18.21 qtl/ha), No.of tillers per plant (13/plant), No.of grains per earhead (221.2/earhead) compared to control (12.38qtl/ha) No. of tillers per plant (6.6/plant), No.of grains per earhead (157.8/earhead).

After knowing the importance of Azolla such as fixing of nitrogen, suppressing the weed growth, as a feed for pig,duck and fish and after seeing the performance of Azolla on the paddy yield, the farmers are now aware of the importance of Azolla. Therefore, FLD programme on inoculation of azolla (azolla caroliniana) in lowland paddy for the session 2009-10 is taken up in Gidemi and Porba village.

II) FLD

1.Rhizobium seed treatment on Soybean(2008-09)

Results showed that application of biofertilizers increased the pod yield of soybean. Highest yield (30000.00kg/ha), plant eight (28.78cm)No.of pods per plant (43.10/plant), No. of seeds per pod(3.2/pod), Pod B:C Ratio (2:76).