Abstract

                                The present study was undertaken to assess the status of available copper (Cu) in the intensively rice growing soils of Madurai district, Tamil Nadu. A total of 235 geo referenced surface soil samples were collected and analysed for plant available Cu and simple correlation was worked out to ascertain the degree of relationship between soil properties and available Cu content of soils of the study area. Plant available Cu in the entire rice growing soils ranged from 0.08 to 9.50 mg kg-1. Out of two hundred and thirty five locations of rice growing soils of Madurai district collected for the purpose of delineation of copper, 29.78 per cent of the soils were deficient in Cu status while 31.91 and 38.29 per cent areas were medium and high in available Cu. Among the soil properties, clay, silt and CEC had a positive influence on the availability of Cu whereas, sand, pH, OC and CaCO3 content had negative influence on available copper. The step-wise multiple regression equation in general indicated that the pH, CEC, OC and sand accounted for 54.50 per cent variation in available Cu in the soils of study area.

Key words : Available copper, Soil physico-chemical properties, Correlation and Multiple Regression