Innovative soil management for sustainable pomegranate cultivation on skeletal soils

An innovative planting technique for pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cv. Bhagwa in gravelly, shallow soils was standardized. Trapezoidal pits were dug in skeletal soils and filled with various types of soils, namely, gravelly, loamy, clayey, clayey mixed with sand and weathered rock. The clayey soil had the highest capacity to supply macronutrients (available N: 376.1, P: 47.1 and K: 761.6 kg/ha), and the loamy soil had the highest capacity to supply micronutrients (available Fe: 19.2, Cu: 8.1 and Zn: 1.83 ppm). The highest Mn (41.2 ppm), Zn (22.4 ppm), Cu (80.1 ppm) and chlorophyll (61.8) contents were observed in the leaves of plants grown in loamy soil. The highest number of hermaphrodite flowers was observed in loamy soil. Higher fruit quality in terms of higher juice content (49.3%), total soluble solids (TSS) in fruit juice (15.7°B) and TSS:acid ratio (37.8) was produced in light‐textured soil. The highest fruit yield (4.28 t/ha) and cost‐benefit ratio (3.85) were obtained in clayey soil up to 0.60 m depth. This produced a 90.2% increase in yield, while total income was 147.4% higher than that obtained with weathered rock. However, when the pits were filled with clayey soils up to 1.20 m depth, disease prevalence increased, and yield was markedly reduced, to 2.25 t/ha. Thus, it may be concluded that skeletal soils could be used for pomegranate cultivation by refilling rhizosphere soil strata with clayey or loamy soil material up to 0.60 m depth.