Soil Resource Characterization and Classification under Different Toposequences in Eastern Extension of Chhotanagpur Plateau

Abstract

Soil resource characterization and classification is necessary for rainfed zones of West Bengal to suggest judicial and optimal agricultural land use planning, particularly in those areas where the lands remain unutilized for more than six months in a year. In the present study, an attempt was made to characterize and classify the existing soils under various toposequences in Rajnagar block, Birbhum district, West Bengal situated in the eastern extension of Chhotanagpur plateau (AESR 12.3). Soils were shallow to very deep, somewhat poorly to excessively drained, sandy loam to clay loam in texture and slightly to severely eroded. The surface soils were acidic in nature with pH ranging from 4.9 to 6.0, low electrical conductivity (EC) (0.03 to 0.39 dS m-1) and low to medium organic carbon (OC) content (0.4 to 5.5 g kg-1). Soils were classified as Entisols, Inceptisols and Alfisols based on their morphological and physicochemical characteristics. Land capability and irrigability classification revealed that 46.3% of total geographical area (TGA) was moderately good for cultivation and 45.2% was suitable for irrigation (class 2) with slight limitations in soil properties, drainage and topography.