Effect of soil alkalinity on Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis Gaertn) as influenced by amendments

An experiment in pot culture was conducted to study the effect of organic and inorganic amendments on the growth of aonla [Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis Gaertn)] in alkaline soils of two levels of pH, electrical conductivity of the saturated extract (ECe), and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) in the Experimental Orchard of Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur (UP), India, during the years 1996-1998. Two types of soil, i.e., alkaline (SI) and mild alkaline (S(2)) at pH 9.8 and 9.1; ESP, 73.6 and 30.6; and ECe, 10.6 and 6.1, were treated with 75 and 50% of the gypsum requirement and distillery effluent at 100 and 50 m(3), respectively, before planting of Indian gooseberry budlings of variety NA-7. Maximum growth and nutrient status of aonla shoots were observed in soil at pH 9.1, ESP 30.6, and ECe 6.1 treated with gypsum (75%) and distillery effluent (100 m(3) ha(-1)). The increasing level of alkalinity caused a significant reduction in the nutrient status of aonla shoots. Increased level of sodium caused toxicity to the plants in untreated soil (control). There was significant improvement in the nutrient status of soil and aonla shoots due to the amendments.