CHARACTERIZATION, CLASSIFICATION AND EVALUATION OF GROUNDNUT GROWING SOILS OF SRIKALAHASTI DIVISION IN CHITTOOR DISTRICT FOR SUSTAINABLE LAND USE PLANNING
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Date
2017
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University
Abstract
The present investigation involves "Characterization, classification
and evaluation of groundnut growing soils of Srikalahasti division in
Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh for sustainable land use planning". For
this, twenty typical pedons from groundnut growing areas were studied for
physical, physico-chemical, chemical properties and mineralogy.
The area is characterized by semi-arid monsoonic climate with distinct
summer, winter and rainy seasons. The pedons occurs in plains (P1, P2, P4,
P5, P6 and P8), very gently sloping (P3, P7, P9, P10, P11, P12, P13, P14,
P15, P16 and P17) and gently sloping (P18, P19 and P20) topography. The
P4, P6, P14 and P16 were developed from alluvium parent material while
P1, P2, P3, P5, P7, P8, P9, P10, P11, P12, P13, P15, P17, P18, P19 and P20
were originated from granite-gneiss.
The morphological features indicated the presence of AC (P4, P6,
P11, P13, P14, P17, P18, P19 and P20), A-(Bw)-C (P1, P3, P7, P8, P9, P10,
P15 and P16) and A-(Bt)-C (P2, P5 and P12) profiles. The soils were deep
to very deep in depth (expect P11), very light pale brown to very dark
brown in colour, sand to sandy clay in texture (in the horizons of different
pedons) and had varied structure including crumb, sub-angular blocky,
angular blocky and single grain.
xv
The clay content in P11 and P18 exhibited almost a decreasing trend
with depth whereas P1 and P12 showed an increasing trend with depth.
However, no specific trend with depth was observed in remaining pedons.
Physical constants like water holding capacity, loss on ignition and volume
expansion followed the trend of clay content. All the pedons exhibited an
irregular trend of bulk density with depth.
The groundnut growing soils were moderately acidic to strongly
alkaline (5.54 to 8.16) in reaction, non-saline (0.01 to 0.09) and low to
medium (0.06 to 0.74 %) in organic carbon. These soils had CaCO3 ranging
from 2.40 to 3.23 per cent. The CEC varied from 8.02 to 46.26 cmol (p+)
kg-1
and exchange complex was dominated by Ca+2 followed by Mg+2, Na+
and K+
. Chemical composition of soils revealed that all the pedons
registered higher silica content indicating siliceous nature.
The soils were low to medium (19.20 to 247.60 mg kg-1
) in available
nitrogen, low to high (4.10 to 21.67 mg kg-1
) in available phosphorus and
potassium (30.23 to 408.14 mg kg-1
) and deficient to sufficient in available
sulphur (5.58 to 47.99 mg kg-1
). The soils were sufficient in available Fe, Cu
and Mn. However, available Zn was sufficient in surface horizons and
deficient in sub-surface horizons in all pedons expect P13, P15 and P18
wherein it was found to be sufficient.
Based on CEC / clay ratio, X-ray diffraction analysis, physical, chemical
and physico-chemical properties, it is concluded that the mineralogy class
for P1, P3, P7, P8, P9, P10, P14 and P16 was smectitic whereas, mineralogy
class for P2, P5 and P12 was kaolinitic. However, P4, P6, P11, P13, P17,
P18, P19 and P20 have more silica (>80), hence the mineralogy class for
these pedons was siliceous.
Based on the morphological, physical, physico-chemical, mineralogical
and meteorological data, the groundnut growing soils in Srikalahasti division
of Chittoor district were classified as: Fine-loamy, smectitic, isohyperthermic,
Typic Haplustepts (P1, P8, P9 and P10); Coarse-loamy, kaolinitic, isohyperthermic,
Typic Haplustalfs (P2); Coarse-loamy, smectitic, isohyperthermic, Typic
Haplustepts (P3 and P15); Sandy, siliceous, isohyperthermic, Typic
Ustifluvents (P4); Fine-loamy, kaolinitic, isohyperthermic, Typic Haplustalfs
(P5 and P12); Sandy, siliceous, isohyperthermic, Typic Ustipsamments (P6);
Fine-loamy, smectitic, isohyperthermic, Vertic Haplustepts (P7); Coarseloamy,
siliceous, isohyperthermic, Lithic Ustorthents (P11); Fine-loamy,
siliceous, isohyperthermic, Typic Ustrorthents (P13); Fine-loamy, smectitic,
isohyperthermic, Fulventic Haplustepts (P14 and P16); Coarse-loamy,
siliceous, isohyperthermic, Typic Ustrorthents (P17, P18 and P20) and
Sandy, siliceous, isohyperthermic, Lithic Ustrorthents (P19).
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Based on climate, site and soil characteristics, the groundnut growing
soils of Srikalahasti division of Chittoor district were classified into land
capability classes and sub-classes viz., IIIs (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P8, P9,
P14 and P15), IIIes (P18), IVs (P10, P13, P16 and P17), IVes (P7, P12 and
P20) and VIes (P11 and P19).
The soil-site suitability evaluation of groundnut growing soils of
Srikalhasti division indicated that P2, P3, P4 P5, P7, P10, P13, P14, P16 and
P17 were suitable (S1), P1, P6, P8, P12, P15, P18 and P20 were moderately
suitable (S2 – constraints of soil pH, organic carbon and soil depth) and P9,
P11 and P19 were marginally suitable (S3 – constraints of soil pH, organic
carbon and soil depth) for growing groundnut crop.
Production potential of groundnut growing soils of Srikalahasti
division revealed that P1, P2, P3, P5, P6, P7, P8, P9, P10, P12, P13, P14,
P15, P16, P17 and P18 of were grouped under the good productivity class
while P4, P11, P19 and P20 were classified under average class. The
coefficient of improvement (Ci) varied from 1.23 to 2.61 indicating the
implementation of judicious soil and water management practices to sustain
crop productivity.
Groundnut index leaf samples were severely deficient in leaf N,
severely deficient to deficient in leaf P, adequate in leaf K, S, Fe, Cu and
Mn and marginally adequate to adequate in leaf Zn.
Description
D5535
Keywords
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