Evaluation of soil and ground water quality of the Krishna valley in Marathwada region of Maharashtra for land use planning
Loading...
Date
2016-06-21
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani
Abstract
The present investigation was carried out on the topic “Evaluation of soil and
ground water quality of the Krishna valley in Marathwada region of Maharashtra for land
use planning”. The study was aimed at to characterize the soils of the study area for their
morphological, physical, chemical and mineralogical properties; soil classification; and
soil-site suitability for sorghum, cotton, pigeonpea and soybean crops. In addition, it was
also aimed to evaluate the quality of ground water for irrigation. Geographically, the
Krishna valley in Marathwada region of Maharashtra is located between 18° 07’ 83” to
18° 37’ 96” N latitudes and 75° 17’ 14” to 75° 49’ 14” E longitudes. The climate of the
area is hot, dry, sub humid with mean annual rainfall of 870 mm of which nearly 85 per
cent is received during months of June to September. Fifteen representative pedons
representing different topographic units of Krishna valley in Marathwada region were
characterized and classified.
The soils were very shallow to very deep in depth, black (10YR 2.5/1) to very
pale brown (10YR 7/4) in colour, silty clay loam to clayey in texture, granular to angular
blocky in structure. The PAWC of the soils varied from 59.98 to 392.15 mm. The soils
were slightly to moderately alkaline (pH 7.10 to 8.27) in reaction, low to medium in
organic carbon content (0.09 to 0.93 per cent) and calcareous in nature (0.92 to 23.11%
1
CaCOs). The cation exchange capacity of soils varied from 24.56 to78.18 cmol (p+) kg'1.
The calcium was the dominant cation followed by magnesium, sodium and potassium.
The base saturation varied from 63.03 to 114.80 per cent and exchangeable sodium
varied from 1.42 to 16.95 per cent. The silt and total clay fractions contain smectite,
vermiculite, mica, chlorite and small amount of zeolite, palygorskite minerals. The soils
were very low to moderate in available nitrogen and phosphorus, low to very high in
available potassium and deficient to sufficient in available sulphur content The soils
were sufficient in available Fe, Mn and Cu and deficient to sufficient in available Zn
content. Taxonomically, these soils were classified into Bntisols, Ihceptisols and
Vertisols and at subgroup level these soils were classified as Typic Ustorthents, Typic
«
Haplustepts, Vertic Haplustepts, Typic Haplusterts, _ Calcic Haplusterts and Sodic
Haplusterts. The morphological, physical and chemical properties of soils were differing
in relation to microtopographic position of the soil profile.
The soils of Typic Ustorthents are very shallow to shallow, the correlation
between soil depth with PAWC (i= 0.88*), clay content (r= 0.77*), CEC (r= 0.74*) and
yield of commonly grown crops in study area (sorghum r= 0.83*, pigeonpea r= 0.90*,
cotton r= 0.88* and soybean r= 0.89*) indicated that the soil depth and clay content has
yield reducing factors in soils of Typic Ustorthents. The-^oils of Calcic Haplusterts have
high amount of CaC03 in subsurface layer. CaC03 tends to have a cementing effect and
form hard pan in subsurface layer which restricted the infiltration and soil aeration and
inhibits the root penetration which also adversely effect on availability of nutrients. The
correlation coefficient between CaC03 and yield of sorghum, cotton, pigeonpea and
soybean was found significant negative correlation r= -0.879*, r= -0.875*, r= -0.878* and
2
r= -0.914*, respectively. This indicated that high amount of CaC03 in root zone which
adversely effect on crop growth. The soils of Sodic Haplusterts have the high ESP and
EMP and which was increased with depth has adversely affected their hydraulic
properties important for crop growth.
The ground water quality of the study area showed medium salinity low sodicity
(C2S1) to high salinity low sodicity (€381). The Kelley's ratio of some water samples
were more than unity and RSC values more than 1.25 me f1, suggests that the
unsuitability of these water resources for irrigation.
The soils of Typic Haplusterts were found as highly suitable (SI); soils of Calcic
Haplusterts, Sodic Haplusterts and Vertic Haplustepts as moderately suitable (S2); soils
of Typic Haplustepts and Typic Ustorthents as moderately (S2) to marginally (S3)
suitable for cultivation of sorghum, cotton, pigeonpea and soybean crops. It was
concluded that the Typic Ustorthents and Typic Haplustepts soils are suitable for shallow
rooted and short duration crop, whereas Typic Haplusterts, Calcic Haplusterts, Sodic
Haplusterts and Vertic Haplustepts soils are suitable for both short and long duration
crops as well as shallow and deep rooted crops in study area. For the management of
Calcic and Sodic Haplusterts soils improved management practices are required to grow
crops successfully on these soils.
Description
Keywords
null