The Gazetteers Department

The soils of Amravati district have been developed on the hilly and undulating topography. The soils, therefore, show a wide variation in their depth. The soils on the hills and slopes have shallow to medium depth while in the low-lying areas and river valleys, deep soils are formed due to the accumulation and deposition of the soils from uplands. Thus three main soil types are obtained, viz.. (1) Shallow soils, (2) Medium deep soils and (3) Deep soils. The annual rainfall varies from 721.36 mm. (28.4 inches) at Anjangaon to 1,701.8 mm. (67.0 inches) at Chikhaldara as against the district average of 924.56 mm. (36.4 inches). The soils of the district arc derived from the Deccan trap (a basaltic rock). The typical soil profiles of the three types of soils and their physico-chemical properties are given in table Nos. 3 and 4.

TABLE No. 3

ANALYSIS OF SOILS, AMRAVATI DISTRICT

Description	Sample depth	PH	T. S. S.	Moisture	Mechanical analysis
Description	Sample depth	PH	T. S. S.	Moisture	Coarse sand %	Fine sand %	Silt %	Clay %
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)	(8)	(9)
Profile No. 1	0-0.23 m. (0"-9")	8.3	0.3	8	6	11	16	52
Profile No. 2	0-0.28 m. (0"-11")	8.6	0.5	10	4	17	15	46
	0.28-0.38 m. (11"-15")	8.5	0.4	11	16	13	27	20
	0.38-0.46 m.(15"-18")	8.4	0.4	8	10	24	16	30
Profile No. 3	0-0.15 m. (0"-6")	8.6	0.5	11	3	4	16	56
	0.15-0.41 m. (6"-16")	8.5	0.5	11	1	6	13	59
	0.41- 0.43 m. (16"-17")	8.6	0.4	12	1	12	10	54
Profile No. 4	0-0.18 m. (0"-7")	8.6	0.4	9	4	12	21	48
	0.18-0.64 m. (7"-25")	8.6	0.4	9	3	8	23	52
	0.64-0.97 m. (25"-38")	8.6	0.4	10	4	16	15	48
	0.97- 1.52 m. (38"-60")	8.4	0.3	10	8	12	35	25
Profile No. 5	0-0.25 m. (0"-10")	8.4	0.3	7	--	17	21	44
	0.25-0.58 m. (10"-23")	8.3	0.3	8	2	7	17	60
	0.58-1.07 m. (23"-42")	8.2	0.3	8	2	9	15	59
	1.07-1.52 m. (42"-60")	8.2	0.3	8	7	1	15	62
Profile No. 6	0-0.36 m. (0"-14")	8.5	0.4	8	2	11	20	54
	0.36-0.91 m. (14"-36")	8.4	0.7	9	3	10	21	51
	0.91 - 1.32 m. (36"-52")	8.5	0.4	10	--	12	18	54
	0.91 -1.52 m. (52"-60")	8.6	0.5	10	2	10	19	52

continued.

Description	Sample depth	Exchangeable basis			Total	CaCO3 %	Organic matter %	Nitro-gen	Avail-able P2O5 mgm. %	Avail-able K20 mgm. %
Description	Sample depth	Ca. m.e. %	Mg. m.e. %	Na+K m.e. %	Total	CaCO3 %	Organic matter %	Nitro-gen	Avail-able P2O5 mgm. %	Avail-able K20 mgm. %
(1)	(2)	(10)	(11)	(12)	(13)	(14)	(13)	(16)	(17)	(18)
Profile No. 1	0-0.23 m. (0"-9")	47	14	2	63	6	1.oo	0.05	12	8
Profile No. 2	0-0.28 m. (0"-1 1")	61	3	2	66	8	1.17	0.05	12	16
	0.28-0.38 m. (11 "-15")	--	5	2	--	14	1.00	--	--	--
	0.38-0.46 m. (15"-18")	--	2	1	--	11	0.88	--	--	--
Profile No. 3	0-0.15 m. (0"-6")	60	22	2	84	10	1.21	0.05	13	16
	0.15-0.41 m. (6"-16")	60	16	2	78	9	1.17	--	--	--
	0.41-0.43 m. (16"-17")	57	9	3	69	10	1.14	--	--	--
Profile No. 4	0-0.18 m. (0"-7")	45	7	2	54	5	1.00	0.06	21	32
	0.18-0.64 m. (7"-25")	49	10	1	60	5	0.67	--	--	--
	0.64-0.97 m. (25"-38")	43	12	2	57	7	0.57
	0.97-1.52 m. (38"-60")	30	13	2	45	10	0.33
Profile No. 5	0-0.23 m. (0"-10")	40	17	3	60	10	0.91	0.04	18	27
	0.25-0.58 m. (10"-23")	45	11	2	58	6	1.05	--	--	--
	0.58- 1.07 m. (23"-42")	43	14	2	59	7	0.91
	1.07-1.52 m. (42"-60")	39	18	2	59	6	0.91
Profile No. 6	0-0.36 m. (0"-14")	50	8	3	61	3	0.67	0.04	19	19
	0.36-0.91 m. (14"-36")	46	7	2	55	5	1.00	--	--	--
	0.91 -1.32 m. (36"-52")	39	15	3	57	4	1.52
	0.91 - 1.52 m. (52"-60")	33	19	3	55	7	1.14

TABLE No. 4

TYPICAL SOIL PROFILES, AMRAVATI DISTRICT

Type of Soil	Shallow Soil.	Medium Deep Soil		Deep Soil
Village and Taluka	Shiwani, Taluka Chandur.	Tiwsa, Taluka Chandur.		Paratwada, Taluka Achalpur.	Daryapur, Taluka Daryapur.	Shirajgaon Bund, Taluka Achalpur.
Profile No	1	2	3	4	5	6
Relief	Gentle slope.	Gentle Slope 1.5 per cent.	Gentle slope 1.5 per cent.	Gentle sloping.	Flat land.	Gentle slope.
Erosion	Severely eroded.	Moderately eroded.	Moderately eroded.	Uneroded.	Uneroded.	Slightly eroded.
Drainage Condition	Excessive.	Good.	Good.	Fair.	Fair	Fair.
Sub-soil Water Table	50 ft.	10 to 15 ft.	10 to 15 ft.	50 to 60 ft.	55 ft.	50 ft.
Land use and Genera Remarks.	Under cultivation Kharif Jowar.	Under cultivation, Cotton crops.	Under cultivation, Cotton.	Groundnut.	Cotton.	Cultivated Land Cotton.

continued.

Horizon	I	I	II	III	I
Thickness	0.23 m. (9")	0.28 m. (11")	0.10 m. (4")	0.08 m. (3")	0.15 m. (6")
Colour	Dark brown	Dark brown.	Greyish brown.	Yellowish.	Greyish black.
Structure	Clay.	Clayey.	Sandv Clay-Loam.	Sandy Clay Loam.	Clayey.
Consistency	Blocky.	Blocky clods breaking into crumbs and nuts.	Single grain.	Structurelss.	Blocky.
Texture	Hard.	Hard.	Friable.	Loose and friable.	Hard.

continued.

Horizon	II	III	I	II	III	IV
Thickness	0.25 m. (10")	0.28 m. (11")	0.18 m. (7")	0.46 m. (18")	0.33 m. (13")	0.56 m. (22")
Colour	Grevish black.	Black.	Black.	Black.	Black.	Grey.
Structure	Clayey.	Clayey.	Clayey.	Clayey.	Clayey.	Clayey Loam.
Consistency	Platy.	Platy.	Granular.	Granular.	Blocky.	Indefinite.
Texture	Slightly friable.	Sticky.	Loose.	Friable.	More compact.	Loose.

TABLE No. 4-cont.

TYPICAL SOIL PROFILES, AMRAVATI DISTRICT

Horizon	I	II	III	I	II	III	IV
Thickness	0.25 m. (10")	0.33 m. (13")	0.94 m. (37")	0.36 m. (14")	0.56 m. (22")	0.41 m. (16")	0.20 m. (8")
Colour	Brown.	Brown.	Dark brown.	Black.	Black.	Deep black.	Dark brown.
Structure	Clayey.	Clayey.	Clayey.	Clayey.	Clayey.	Clayey.	Clayey.
Consistency	Blocky.	Blocky.	Prismatic.	Blocky.	Blocky.	Blocky.	Blocky.
Texture	Hard.	Moderately friable.	Compact.	Hard.	Compact.	Compact.	Slightly compact.

continued.

Miscellaneous concretions, roots, moisture, etc.	Dry, cracks and plant roots visible.	Upper 6" dry, and then little moist. vertical cracks and roots appearing.	Moist, admixture of lime nodules and murum.	Profused admixture of lime nodules and murum.
Sample Depth	0-0.23 m. (0-9")	0-0.28 m. (0-11")	0.28 m.- 0.38 m. (11-15")	0.38 m.- 0.46 m. (15"-18")
	Below 9" disintegrated reddish coloured murum.	Below 18" disintegrated yellowish brown murum.

continued.

Vertical cracks and plant roots up to 6" lime.	Few lime nodules.	Very moist. very few lime particles.	Dry, roots visible, white lime con- cretions present.	Moist, roots present, lime nodules.	Less moist, lime nodules present.	Dry, lime concretions profusely diffused.
0-0.15 m. (0-6")	1.15 m.- 0.41 m. (6"-16")	0.41 m.- 0.69 m. (16"-27")	0-0.18 m. (0-7")	0.18 m.- 0.64 m. (7"-25")	0.64 m.- 0.97 m. (25"-38")	0.97 m.- l.52m. (38"-60")
Below 27" disintegrated yellowish brown soft murum.			Same layer continues below.

continued.

Miscellaneous concretions, roots, moisture, etc.	Dry, roots of crops, few white and black con- cretions.	Little moist, roots of crops, few white and black concretions.	Moist, few roots of crops, black and white concretions increased in depth.	Dry, roots and white concre- tions pre- sent.	Little moist, roots present, white small concretions.	More moist, white concre- tions and roots present.	Moist, white concretions present.
Sample Depth	0-0.25 m. (0"-10")	0.25 m.-0.58 m. (10"-33")	0.58 m.-1.07 m. (23"-42")) 1.07 m.-1.52 m. (42"-60")	0-0.36 m. (0"-14")	0.36 m.-0.91 m O4-36")	0.91 m.-1.32m. (36"-52")	1.32 m.-1.52 m. (52"-60")
	Same layer continues below.			Same layer continues below.

Shallow Soils.

The shallow soils of Amravati district are dark brown in colour, clayey in texture and Blocky in structure. Their PH Value is 8.3 and they contain 0.3 per cent total soluble salts. The soils have 52 per cent clay and 16 per cent silt. Besides, they contain 6.0 per cent Calcium carbonate and about 1.00 per cent organic matter. The soils have high exchange capacity with 47 m.e. per cent of Calcium, 14 m.e. per cent Magnesium and 2 m.e. per cent of Sodium and Potassium. The fertility of the soils is low with 0.05 per cent of Nitrogen, 12 mgm. per cent of available Phosphate and 8 mgm. per cent of available Potash. These soils are suitable only for the cultivation of the kharif crop. They respond to the application of fertilisers.

Medium Deep Soils.

The surface layer of these medium deep soils is dark brown or greyish black. They possess clayey texture and blocky structure. The PH value of the soil profiles varies from 8.4 to 8.6 with total soluble salts from 0.4 to 0.5 per cent. Although the surface layer of these soils is clayey in texture, the lower layers show variation. Sometimes they are less clayey and sandy clay loam in texture. The Calcium carbonate varies from 1 to 3 per cent and organic matter from 0.88 to 1.21 per cent. The exchangeable capacity is also quite high comprising Calcium 57 to 61 m.e. per cent, exchangeable Magnesium 3 to 22 m.e. per cent and, exchangeable Sodium-Potassium 1 to 3 m.e. per cent. So far as fertility is concerned, these soils are fairly good and if cultivated intensively give good yields. The Nitrogen varies from 0.05 to 0.06 per cent, available Phosphate from 13 to 21 mgm. per cent and available Potash from 16 to 32 mgm. per cent.

Deep Soils.

The deep soils of the district are mainly found in the river valleys of Purna and Wardha. They are known for their high production of cotton crop. The three soil profiles (numbers 4, 5 and 6) whose details are presented in table number 4 are typical profiles of deep soils of the district. Though there is not much variation in the soils, the three profiles show slight differences among themselves. The soil profile No. 4 shows a coarser structure in the lower layers having sample depth of 0.97- 1.52 metres (38"-60"). These layers are loamy in texture and are, therefore, well-drained. The soil profile number 5 shows an increase of clay content with depth and compactness. These soils will have, therefore, impeded drainage. The soil profile number 6 reveals tendency towards alkalisation with increase of PH value and total soluble salts in lower layers. On the whole, it can be safely said that soils of Amravati district are very fertile and highly suitable for the cotton crop.

The PH value of soils in this group varies between 8.2 and 8.6 per cent with total soluble salts from 0.3 to 0.7 per cent. The Calcium Carbonate varies from 3 to 10 per cent and Organic matter from 0.33 per cent to 1.52 per cent. The exchange capacity is high with exchangeable Calcium 30 to 49 m.e. per cent. Magnesium 7 to 18 m.e. per cent and Sodium and Potassium together 3 to 10 m.e. per cent. The Nitrogen content in deep soils varies between 0.04 and 0.06 per cent, available Phosphate between 18 and 21 mgm. per cent and available Potash from 19 to 32 mgm. per cent.

Amravati is one of the major cotton producing districts of Maharashtra. This is due, in a large measure, to the suitability

of soils and climatic factors. With intensive cultivation and use of fertilisers it may be possible to increase the per acre yield of cotton, still further.

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