Open AccessCharacterization and Formation of Salt affected Soils in Eastern Rajasthan Upland
Author(s) -
Swati Sharma,
R. P. Sharma,
Rachhpal Singh,
Sanjay Singh
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
agropedology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 0971-1570
DOI - 10.47114/j.agroped.2016.dec12
Subject(s) - sodium adsorption ratio , soil water , sodic soil , saline water , soil salinity , sodium , saline , salinity , irrigation , hydraulic conductivity , chemistry , soil science , environmental chemistry , geology , agronomy , biology , drip irrigation , oceanography , organic chemistry , endocrinology
Soils of the Bhilwara district are affected with different degree and extent of soluble salts. These soils are distributed in hot semi-arid agro-ecological sub region of Rajasthan. It is located between 25o 01' to 25o 58' N latitude and 74o 01' to 75o28' E longitude at an elevation between 380 and 500 meters above the mean sea level. The physico-chemical analysis of soils revealed the dominant cations such as sodium followed by calcium. Exchangeable sodium percentage was ranged 23.1 to 54.6, 17 to 38.5 and 7.1 to 20.0 in saline, sodic and saline-sodic soils, respectively. The Sodium Adsorption Ratio varied from 2.5 to 16.8, 3.2 to 9.4 and 3.8 to 12.6 in these problematic soils, respectively. Soil reaction was ranged from 7.6 to 8.4, 8.5 to 9.3 and 8.5 to 8.8 whereas electrical conductivity of saturation extract varied from 14.4 to 25.2, 1.0 to 5.6 and 2.4 to 13.6 dSm-1 in saline, sodic and saline-sodic soils, respectively. Area under saline and saline-sodic soils was moderately-well to well drained whereas sodic soils were imperfectly drained. Accumulation of calcium carbonate showed increasing trend with depth of profile in all three soils. Mean values of adjusted sodium adsorption ratio of irrigation water was 43.55, 41.88 and 36.74 for saline, saline-sodic and sodic soils. Use of low quality underground water for irrigation, aggravated the process of formation of the salt affected soils in eastern Rajasthan Uplands.