Impact of Various Cropping Systems on the Status and Distribution of Selected Micronutrients in Subtropical Region of Himachal Pradesh, India

Globally, the majority of farmers use various cropping systems. In order to increase the production of food grains, the adaptation of these cropping systems necessitates intensive cultivation, which eventually calls for a greater quantity of macronutrients as well as micronutrients. The availability of micronutrients is greatly influenced by cropping practices, their distribution by profile and chemical pools, and their accessibility to plants. Many crops can reach beneath the soil layers and access the micronutrients with their deep roots, which they require to grow. The present study was conducted to quantify the impact of different cropping systems on DTPA extractable micronutrients viz., Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn over time. Soil samples were collected from the surface layer (0-15 cm) of four cropping systems i.e., cereal-cereal (CC), cereal-oilseed (CO), vegetable-vegetable (VV), and fodder-fodder (FF). The micronutrient cations were found highest under the VV cropping system when compared with all four cropping systems. The results illustrate that availability of micronutrients is affected by the presence of high organic carbon content and favourable soil reaction.