OAR@ICRISATA fertility index for submerged rice soilsK LSahrawatauthorL TNartehauthorSoil fertility indices that consider the dynamic nature of submerged soils are needed for assessing the fertility status of wetlands. It is proposed that the soil solution electrical conductivity (EC) determined at 4 weeks after submergence can be used as an index of general fertility of wetland soils. This proposition is based on the finding that the soil solution EC provides a measure of the concentration of nutrient elements mobilized in solution. The results with 15 diverse West African rice soils showed that at 4 weeks after flooding, the soil solution EC was highly significantly correlated (r=0.927,n=15) to the total concentration of macro- and micronutrient elements released in solution. This period (4 weeks after flooding) coincided with the establishment of a dynamic equilibrium between pH and Eh (redox potential) for the 15 soils and the increase in pH was quantitatively (R 2=0.84) associated with the decrease in Eh. The soils had a wide range in solution EC and nutrient concentration in soil solution, indicating a range in the fertility status. The soil solution EC was significantly correlated to organic C and iron extracted by EDTA. It is suggested that soil solution EC at 4 weeks after flooding can be used as an index of the fertility status of wetland soils not affected by salinitySoil Science2002Taylor & FrancisArticle

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