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MINERAL NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF DIFFERENT ECOTYPES OF WHITE CLOVER AND THEIR NUTRIENT CREDIT TO SOIL AT RAWALAKOT AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR

M. KALEEM ABBASI^1*, MAJID MAHMOOD TAHIR¹, ASAD HUSSAIN SHAH² AND FARHAT BATOOL³

Abstract: In comparison with other legumes and grasses, white clover provides forage with high nutritional value and quality. A field experiment was conducted by growing three indigenous and three exotic ecotypes of white clover in the mountain region of Himalayan i.e. the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. Plant nutrient content of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn were determined in the forage of white clover while soil nutrient content of N, C, P, K, Ca and Mg were determined in the soil under white clover. Pure grass and soil without white clover were used as control/check. Mineral nutrient contents in white clover were substantially higher than those found in the grass. Among macronutrients, the content of P and K were 0.32 and 1.96%, while the contents of N, Ca and Mg were 2.61, 1.10 and 0.29%, 2−3 fold to the content found in the grass. Micronutrients also showed similar trend and the concentration of Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn were 192, 86, 31 and 49 mg kg^-1, almost double than those in the grass. The ratio between Ca/P, Ca/Mg, Ca/K, K/Mg, K/P was 3.9, 4.0, 0.6, 6.8 and 6.2, respectively showing positive balance of mineral nutrient elements in white clover. Growing over two years in the field, white clover increased substantially the concentration of C, N, P and K in soil indicating its potential for improving the nutrient status of the soil. Introduction of white clover in our pastoral ecosystem can provide forage with high nutritional value that can result in increased levels of animal production and allow for high stocking rates.

¹Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

²Department of Plant Breeding and Molecular Genetics, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Faculty of Agriculture, Rawalakot Azad Jammu and Kashmir Pakistan.

³Neurochemistry and Biochemical Neuropharmacology Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan