QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF PLANT AVAILABLE ZINC, COPPER, IRON, MANGANESE BY DTPA-EXTRACTANT, BORON BY HOT-WATER SOLUBLE AND VISUALIZATION OF THEIR SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Micronutrient deficiency in high pH (alkaline) soil is the most promising factor to achieve optimal crop yield for the food, feed, and fiber needs of 7 billion people globally. After examining the micronutrient status of a specific site, then site-specific nutrition management could be a feasible solution. The goal of this study was to determine quantitatively and illustrate the distribution of DTPA extractable micronutrients in the Sialkot district. Throughout the sampling region, 1432 georeferenced soil samples were taken to the fertile depth of arable land, while preserving a sampling grid area of 100 acres (404686 m2). Following the Diethylenetriamine Penta-Acetate (DTPA) extraction process, these samples were analyzed for plant available Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), and Manganese (Mn). Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS) was used to perform the quantification analysis. The UV-visible spectrophotometer was used to determine hot water soluble (HWS) Boron (B). Electrical conductivity (EC), soil pH, and soil organic matter (SOM) concentration were also determined and calculated in soil samples. Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn extractable by DTPA varied from 0.12-7.22, 0.09-2.14, 0.43-10.29, and 0.06-2.71 mg kg-1 soil, respectively. Boron concentrations in the soil ranged from 0.01 to 1.66 mg kg-1. The soil EC and pH of the tested samples varied between 0.16 and 3.12 dS m-1 and 6.81 and 9.30, respectively. There was no threat of high soluble salt concentration in the Sialkot soil. When it came to sodicity, 90% of the sampling locations were normal, whereas 10% were sodic characteristics. The soil samples, on the other hand, revealed a lack of SOM, with a mean value of 0.53 %. Significant and negative correlations were found between soil pH and DTPA extractable Zn, Cu, Fe, and B. At non-sampling sites, the micronutrient status was assessed using the standard kriging technique. The micronutrients could be applied more accurately and site-specifically utilizing digital maps created with the Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS).