Characterization and Evaluation of Soils Occurring on Toposequence In Eastern Plains, Bhilwara District, Rajasthan for Land Use Planning

A reconnaissance soil survey was undertaken at 1:50, 000 scale to characterize and evaluate the land resources of Bhilwara district in Rajasthan for land use planning. Based on landforms seven typifying pedons along the toposequence were studied for their soil-site and physico-chemical characteristics in eastern plain. The study indicates that the soils of steeply sloping hilly terrain were very shallow, excessively drained, dark brown, sandy loam in texture with fine, weak sub-angular blocky structure. The soils of very gently sloping plain and nearly level plain are deep to very deep, imperfectly drained to well drained, olive brown to dark brown soils associated with higher water content at -33 and -1500 kPa and the organic carbon content was higher in the surface soils compared to subsurface and it decreased with depth. The calcium carbonate content ranged from 1.0 to 36.5 percent and the calcium carbonate content increased with depth. The soils of the hilly terrain (P1) and undulating pediment (P2) have been classified as Lithic Ustorthents and Lithic Haplustepts, respectively. Soils of the intervening valley (P3), undulating plain (P4) and gently sloping plain (P5) categorized as Typic Haplustepts, whereas the soils occurring on the very gently sloping plains (P6) were classified as Vertic Haplustepts. The soils formed on nearly level plain have been classified as Sodic Haplusterts (P7). The soils are grouped under IIes, IIIs, IVes and Ves land capability sub-classes and 2s, 3s, 3st, 3sd, 4st and 5st land irrigability sub-classes. The land suitability for major crops growing in the region indicated that the soils of the hilly terrain (P1) and undulating pediment (P2) are not suitable for most of the crops due to their very severe limitations of slope, erosion and soil depth. The soils of the intervening valley (P3) were moderately suitable for maize and sorghum and marginally suitable for wheat, cotton and mustard. Soils of undulating plain (P4) were highly suitable for maize, sorghum, wheat and moderately suitable for groundnut, cotton and gram. Soils of the gently sloping plains (P5) were highly suitable for sorghum; moderately suitable for maize, wheat, cotton and mustard; and marginally suitable for groundnut and gram. Soils of the very gently sloping plain (P6) were moderately suitable for sorghum and marginally suitable for maize, wheat, cotton and unsuitable for groundnut and gram. Soils of the nearly level plains were moderate to marginally suitable for other crops and unsuitable for groundnut and gram (P7).