Soil Morphology - Classification: Morphology, Physicochemical Properties and Classification of Saline-sodic Soils of Mahai Canal Command Area of Gujarat

Abstract

Soil profiles, representative of three district areas, viz.. Thasra, Matar and coastal. of salt affected area are discussed for their lnorphological and physicochemical properties. Electrical conductivity of saturation extract ranged from 0.9 to 81.6 mmhosicm at 25°C and ESP varied from 5.0 to 78.3 in the entire. The diagnostic epipedon is recogoised as Ochric and subsurface horizons as Natric. The soil of the command area are classified as Alfisol. The soils of Thasra and coastal areas are placed under suborder Udalf whereas those of Matar belong to Aqualf. The great group names of soils of different areas are associated with Natric horizon. With respect to subgroup, the soils of Thasra and coastal are considered as Aquic Natrudalf whereas those of Matar belong to Typic Narraqualf. The three distinct families, viz., sandy or sandy clay calcareous hyperthermic, fine calcareous hyperthermic and loamy calcareous hyperthermic are named for the areas of Thasra, Matar and Coastal, respectively.