2024, Vol. 7, Special Issue 12

author(s)
RK Naitam, RS Singh, RP Sharma, PC Moharana and PS Deshmukh

abstract
Four representative pedons (P1 Sangapore; P2 Bakrol; P3 Chhapra; P3 and P4 Matied) from different landforms of Ankaleshwar taluka in the coastal region of Bharuch district, Gujarat, were studied for their morphological, physical, and chemical properties, and evaluated for their suitability for the cultivation of rice, wheat, cotton, sugarcane, pigeonpea and banana. The soils were very deep (>150 cm), well to poorly drained, slight to strongly alkaline (7.9 to 10.2), non-saline to saline (EC 0.13 to 7.51 dS m^-1), medium to high in surface organic carbon (0.66 to 0.88%), low to medium in CaCO3 (2.65 to 12.9%), and medium to high in CEC [25.5 to 60.3 cmol (p+) kg^-1]. Soil texture varied from sandy loam to clay, with the clay content ranging from 8.6 to 53.3%. Bulk density was lower in Sangapore soil (1.2-1.4 Mg m-3) than the other soils (1.2-1.5 Mg m^-3). Exchangeable bases in all the soils were in the order of Ca2+ > Mg2+ > Na+ > K+ on the exchange complex except Matied soils. In Matied soils in subsurface horizons exchangeable Na+ dominates over exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ content. The base saturation is high in all the pedons and varied from 82.5 to 134.7%. The Sangapore (P1) and Bakrol (P2) pedon with > 25 cm thick slickensides was classified as Typic haplusterts. The Chhapra pedon (P3) with cambic horizons was classified as Typic haplustepts. The pedons P4 (Matied) was classified as Vertic haplustepts. Most of the pedons were only moderately suitable (S2) for rice, cotton and Banana due to limitations such as drainage, topography and poor nutrient availability based on unfavourable soil pH conditions. However some soils were highly suitable S1 for wheat and sugarcane. The soils of Matied (P4) were marginally suitable S3 for rice, wheat and cotton but were not suitable (N) for sugarcane, pigeonpea and banana due to severe limitations of salinity and sodicity.