Assessment of nitrate levels in soil and water quality for sustainable agriculture in district Muzaffargarh, Pakistan
Zeeshan Akram and
Muhammad Tahir Iqbal
Advances in Agriculture and Biology, 2019, vol. 02, issue 01
Abstract:
This research study focuses on assessing the levels of nitrate (NO3-) in soil and groundwater in various regions of district Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. Nitrate, a compound comprising one nitrogen atom and three oxygen atoms, can accumulate in soil due to nitrogen fertilizer application and potentially leach into groundwater, leading to contamination problems. The study collected soil samples at different depths from tehsil Muzaffargarh, Kot Adu, Ali Pur, and Jatoi to analyze nitrate concentrations. The results indicated that nitrate levels varied across depths, with the highest concentrations observed at 60-90 cm. Nitrate tended to decrease at greater depths (90-120 cm) due to capillary action, which transported nitrates upward with water movement. Water samples from canals and underground sources were also analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and ion concentrations. The canal water was found suitable for irrigation, while the underground water was marginally fit. Hence, this study provides valuable insights into the distribution of nitrate in soil profiles and water sources in district Muzaffargarh. It suggests that current nitrate levels do not pose immediate contamination risks, but ongoing monitoring and responsible agricultural practices are essential to maintain safe nitrate levels in both soil and groundwater. © 2019 The Author(s)
Keywords: Agribusiness; Crop Production/Industries; Sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:
Downloads: (external link)
https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/358911/files/A ... evels%20in%20soi.pdf (application/pdf)
Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.
Export reference: BibTeX
RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan)
HTML/Text
Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:advagr:358911
DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.358911
Access Statistics for this article
More articles in Advances in Agriculture and Biology from Advances in Agriculture and Biology
Bibliographic data for series maintained by AgEcon Search ().