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Management of black Vertisols characterized by pot‐holes in the Chambal region, India
Author(s) -
Somasundaram J.,
Singh R. K.,
Prasad S. N.,
Sethy B. K.,
Kumar A.,
Ramesh K.,
Lakaria B. L.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
soil use and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.709
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1475-2743
pISSN - 0266-0032
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-2743.2010.00321.x
Subject(s) - vertisol , silt , surface runoff , field experiment , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , agronomy , geology , soil science , soil water , biology , ecology , geomorphology , geotechnical engineering
Crop yields in rainfed areas are primarily dependent on the rainfall pattern and stored soil moisture. High smectite clay causes the formation of cracks, which are a striking feature of black Vertisols which are also distinguished by the presence of pot‐holes. Soil water is recharged during the rainy season via these cracks, which also results in pot‐hole formation. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of different conservation measures on pot‐holes. Length, width and depth were measured during dry spells after the onset of the monsoon under various field treatments. The results indicate that uncultivated fields have a greater volume of pot‐holes (573 m 3 /ha) than cultivated ones due to unbroken gentle slopes, which would have caused silt‐laden runoff to travel longer distances to form pot‐holes. The results show that among the cultivated fields, a control plot had the maximum volume of pot‐holes (450 m 3 /ha), followed by a conservation bench terrace (CBT) (231 m 3 /ha), residue incorporated (RI) fields (142 m 3 /ha) and contour furrow areas (CF) (119 m 3 /ha). The CBT field treatment had a higher volume of pot‐holes despite a high percentage of micro‐aggregates and high total porosity.