Some soil properties affecting orchards of the Cracow Province

Soil samples for analyses were collected in the whole area of the Cracow province. Basic soil properties and content of heavy metals were determined in the soil samples. It was found out that 47% of the examined soils of the Cracow province should be classified as the soils with elevated cadmium levels, 10% are soils with elevated lead levels and 27% are the soils with elevated zinc levels. The remaining soils should be classified as the soils with a natural content of these elements. Nickel and copper concentrations in all the examined soils are in the range of the natural content. The calculated correlation coefficients show that the content of cadmium was determined by the soil pH and content of copper by the content of C-org.