Anmol Singh2017-02-222017-02-22http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810002077The fine textured Inceptisols suffer from constraints which ultimately affect crop productivity. A study was undertaken to characterize these soils physically, morphologically and chemically for identifying the major constraints. Seven profiles in fine and four in coarse textured Inceptisols under different cropping systems (rice-wheat, maize-wheat, sugarcane, fallow-berseem and rice sorghum) were exposed for the morphological, physical and chemical characterization. All the studied soils exhibited A-B horizons in fine textured Inceptisols and A-Bw-C horizons in coarse textured Inceptisols. The clay content in fine textured Inceptisols varied from 26-68 per cent. Depth distribution of bulk density did not show any definite pattern with clay content and the cropping systems. No subsurface compaction was observed in fine textured soils. The rice based cropping systems had lowest infiltration rate (IR) and the final IR was highest in soils under fallow-berseem (2.4 cm hr-1) and lowest in rice-wheat/rice sorghum (1 cm hr-1). The total water infiltrated to achieve the constant IR in fine textured Inceptisols was lowest (4.8 cm) in rice-sorghum and highest (13.3 cm) in fallow-berseem cropping system. The Kunsat did not show any definite trend either down the profile or with the amount of clay content in all the pedons of fine textured soils. The water holding capacity (WHC) was lower in coarse textured soils than the fine textured soils. The soils under rice-wheat cropping system experienced highest mean weight diameter (MWD). The MWD in sugarcane fields was least despite of highest content of clay in these soils. The WSA>.0.25 mm followed the simillar trend as MWD. The soil were alkaline in reaction. The depth distribution of cation exchange capacity (CEC) did not show any definite trend and it varied with clay content. All the soils were low in available N content medium in available P and medium to high in available K content irrespective of soil type. The available micronutrient content extracted by DTPA in fine textured soils followed the order Mn>Fe>Zn/Cu. DTPA-Zn decreased with increased clay content and CEC of the soils, whereas DTPA-Cu content increased with increase in clay content of these soils. Physical characterization, Chemical characterizati on, cropping systems, available nurientsennullThesis