Exploring the intriguing physico-chemical traits of maize (Zea mays L) cultivated in diverse soils across Telangana, India

The main occupation of Telangana, India, is agriculture. Achieving food security
requires intelligent management to increase land use productivity and production per unit area
because of the expanding population and decreasing amount of agricultural land per capita. In
this sense, assessing the productivity and fertility of the soil is a necessary step toward
sustainable agricultural development. This study assesses maize cultivation across red, black,
and alluvial soils in Telangana's districts, using a random sampling approach to analyze soil
fertility characteristics. A total of 119 soil samples were collected from a depth of 0-15 cm
beneath maize crops grown between 2018 and 2020. These samples exhibited a pH ranging
from slightly acidic to alkaline and contained low levels of organic matter. The available
nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in the soil varied; in red soil, they were 63-326
kg ha -1 , 20-150 kg ha -1 , and 152-736 kg ha -1 ; in black soil, they were 75-364 kg ha -1 , 40-127 kg
ha -1 , and 113-476 kg ha -1 ; and in alluvial soil, they were 50-320 kg ha -1 , 24-132 kg ha -1 , and 108-
429 kg ha-1, appropriately. The available nutrient ranges in all soils were 50-364 kg ha -1 , 20-150
kg ha -1 , and 108-736 kg ha –1 , respectively.