The Gazetteers Department

The main factor that has influenced the development of soils in Bhir district is the undulating and hilly topography. The soils of varying depth are to be found throughout the district. The deep soils usually lie in the river valleys. The district is covered with the Deccan trap soil.

The profiles of the different kinds of soils in the district are given in Table No. 5. The following are some of the important varieties of soil in this district.

Shallow Soils

The shallow soils of Bhir district (Profile Nos. 1 and 2) have dark brown to dark yellowish brown colour, single grain to blocky structure and sandy loam to loamy texture. The PH of the soil is from 8.3 to 8.5 with total soluble salts of 0.2 to 0.3 per cent. The calcium carbonate is as much as 20 per cent in profile No. 1 whereas it is 5 per cent in profile No. 2. The organic matter varies from 0.52 to 0.84 per cent. The exchangeable calcium varies from 43 to 46 m.e. per cent, magnesium 5 m.e. per cent and sodium and potassium together about 1 m.e. percent.

The percentage of nutritious contents in shallow soils is very low: Nitrogen varying between 0.02 and 0.05 per cent. P2 O5 between 9 and 11 mgm. per cent and K2 0 up to 38 mgm per cent. These soils respond to all kinds of fertilisers.

Moderately deep Soils

The moderately deep soils are found in profile Nos. 3 to 5 and have varying colours, structure and texture. The colour of the soil is dark brown, dark reddish brown or dark grey brown. The structure varies from single grain to blocky while texture varies from sandy loam to clay. The PH varies from 7.5 to 8.5 and total soluble salts from 0.2 to 0.4 per cent. The calcium carbonate varies from 2 to 20 per cent and organic matter from 0.92 to 2.37 per cent. The base exchange capacity of the soils is high with exchangeable calcium from 21 to 62 m.e. per cent, magnesium from 5 to 15 m.e. per cent and sodium and potassium together from 1 to 2 m.e. percent.

Like shallow soils, these soils also are of inferior quality due to the lack of nutritious contents in them. Nitrogen is found only in soils in profile No. 4 and that too in very small quantity of about 0.14 per cent. The phosphate contents are between 10 and 18 mgm. per cent. Potash is found up to 28 mgm. per cent. Generally speaking, these soils respond to all kinds of fertilisers.

Medium deep Soils

The medium deep soil is found in profile Nos. 6 to 8. It has dark brown or black colour, and is granular or blocky in structure, and sandy loam to clayey in texture. The PH of this soil varies from 8.2 to 8.7 and total soluble salts from 0.2 to 0.3 per cent. The contents of calcium carbonate and those of organic matter vary widely from 3 to 20 per cent, and from 0.48 to 2.16 per cent, respectively. The base exchange capacity of the soil is fairly high with calcium from 22 to 54 m.e. per cent, magnesium from 11 to 25 m.e. per cent and sodium and potassium together from 1 to 2 m.e. percent.

The nutritious elements in the soil also vary considerably. Thus in profile No. 8, there is more of nitrogen and potash than other elements. This type of soil responds favourably to the nitrogenous and phosphatic fertilisers.

Deep Soils

These soils are to be found in profile Nos. 9 to 11. Their colour changes from dark brown to black and so also the texture changes from clay loam to clayey. The PH of these soils vary from 8.5 to 8.9 and total soluble salts from 0.4 to 2 per cent. The high PH and the total soluble salts show that the soils have developed the saline and alkaline conditions which are pronounced in the profile No. 11. The base exchange capacity is a little high with calcium varying from 22 to 42 m.e. per cent, magnesium from 13 to 29 m.e. per cent and sodium and potassium together from 2 to 15 m.e. percent.

The plant nutritious contents in the soil are low with nitrogen 0.04 per cent, phosphate between 9 and 15 mgm. per cent and potash between 31 and 41 mgm. per cent. This soil responds to nitrogenous and phosphatic fertilisers.

TABLE NO. 5

Typical soil profiles in BHIR district

Profile No.	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
Village	Georai.	Ashti.	Georai.	Naigaon.
(Taluka)	(Georai).	(Ashti).	(Georai).	(Patoda).
Relief	Undulating.	Undulating.	Undulating.	Hilly.
Erosion		Highly eroded.
Drainage condition	Excessive.	Excessive.	Good.	Excessive.
Sub-soil water table	9.144 metres (30')	9.144(30')	9.144(30')	7.620 (25")
Horizon	I	I	I	I
Thickness	152.4 (6")	177.8(7")	228.6 (9")	228.6 (9")
Colour	Dark brown.	Dark yellowish brown.	Dark brown.	Dark reddish brown.
Structure	Blocky.	Single grain.	Blocky.	Single grain.
Consistency	Hard and compact.	Loose.	Loose.	Loose.
Texture	Loam.	Sandy loam.	Clayey.	Clayey.
Miscellaneous concretions, roots moisture etc.	Dry, roots throughout the layer.	Few lime nodules, dry.	Roots present up to 228.6 (9") white concretions and lime nodules are present.	Few roots, little moist, layer mixed with small pebbles and soft murum pieces.
Sample depth	152.4 (6"), below 152.4 (6") disintegrated murum mixed with lime.	177.8 (7"), below 177.8 (7") disintegrated soft murum.	228.6 (9"), below 228.6 (9") disintegrated murum mixed with lime.	228.6 (9"), below 228.6 (9"), disintegrated murum.
General remarks	Bajri harvested.	Under rabi jowar crop.	Jowar mixed with safflower.	Bajri crop harvested.
Remarks	--	--	--	Soil mixed with murum.

F. N—Figures in inches and in feet are converted in millimetres, and metres, respectively.

TABLE No. 5—cont.

Profile No.	(5)	(6)	(7)	(8)
Village	Ashti.	Ashti	Naigaon.	Naigaon.
(Taluka)	(Ashti).	(Ashti).	(Patoda).	(Patoda).
Relief	Undulating.	Comparatively flat with little erosion.	Flat.	Flat.
Erosion	Highly eroded.	--	--	--
Drainage condition	Good.	Good.	Good.	Good.
Sub-soil water table	9.144(30')	4.572 (15')	7.620 (25')	4.572 (15')
Horizon	(a) I, (b) II.	(a) I, (b) II,(c) III.	(a) I, (b) II, (c) III.	(a) I, (b) II, (c) III.
Thickness	(a) 203.2 (8"), (b) 228.6 (9").	(a) 228.6 (9"), (b) 254.0 (10"), (c)228.6(9")	(a) 152.4 (6"), (b) 254.0 (10"), (c) 355.6 (14").	(a) 228.6 (9"), (b) 457.2 (18"), (c) 228.0 (9").
Colour	(a) Dark grey brown, (b) White with lime nodules.	(a) Dark brown, (b) Dark brown, (c) Dark brown.	(a) Dark, reddish, brown, (b) Black, (c) Black.	(a) Dark grey, (b) Light brown grey, (c) Greyish brown.
Structure	(a) Blocky, (b) Single grain.	(a) Blocky, (b) Angular blokcy, (c) Indefinite.	(a) Blocky breaking into small angular pieces, (b) Blocky (c) Platy	(a) Granular (b) Structureless (c) Structureless.
Consistency	(a) Little hard, (b) Loose.	(a) Hard, (b) Very compact, (c) Sticky.	(a) Slightly hard, (b) Friable, (c) Friable	(a) Loose, (b) Loose, (c) Loose
Texture	(a) Sandy loam, (b) Sandy loam.	(a) Clayey, (b) Clayey, (c) Loamy	(a) Clayey, (b) Clayey, (c) Clayey	(a) Loamy, (b) Sandy, clay loam, (c) Sandv loam.
Miscellaneous concretions, roots, moisture, etc.	(a) Dry, (b) Mixed with profuse lime nodules, little moist, roots up to 13".	(a) Dry, roots of hariyali up to 228.6 (9"), (b) Moist and contain lime nodules, (c) More moist than above (wet) mixed with high proportion of lime nodules.	(a) Dry, (b) Moist, root depth, up to 508.0 (20"), (c) Mixed with lime nodules.	(a) Dry, (b) Little moist mixed with high lime proportion (c) Moist soil mixed with lime.
Sample depth	(a) 203.2 (8"), (b) 203.2 (8"—17"), below 17" murum mixed with high amount of lime.	(a) 228.6 (9"), (b) 228.6—482.6 (9"—19"), (c) 482.6—711.2 (19"_28"), below 28" disintegrated murum.	(a) 152.4(6"), (b) 152.4—406.4 (6"—16"), (c) 406.4—762.0 (16"—30"), (c) below 762.0 (16"—30"), below 7620 (30") hard murum greyish black in colour.	(a) 228.6 (9"), (b) 228.6—685.5 (9"—27') 685.8—914.4(27"— 36"), below 88" lime layer continues.
General remarks	Bajri harvested	Standing jowar crop mixed with safflower.	Cultivated land. Safflower. harvested.	Irrigated land, groundnut harvested.
Remarks	--		Accumulated soil.	--

TABLE No. 5—cont.

Profile No.	(9)
Village	Georai.
(Taluka)	(Georai.)
Relief	Flat.
Erosion	--
Drainage condition	Fair.
Sub-soil water table	9.144(30')
Horizon	I	II.	III.	IV.
Thickness	254.0 (10")	279.4 (11")	(304.8 (12")	685.8 (27")
Colour	Dark brown.	Dark brown.	Dark brown.	Dark brown.
Structure	Blocky.	Blocky.	Blocky.	Blocky.
Consistency	Hard compact.	Fairly loose.	Compact.	More compact.
Texture	Clayey.	Sandy loam.	Clayey	Clayey.
Miscellaneous concretions, roots, moisture, etc.	Dry roots, white profused lime nodules are present.	Rootlets are present, white concretions, little moist.	Rootlets are present, white concretions in abundance.	White and black concretions more moist.
Sample depth	0.254 (0"—10")	254—533.4 (10"—21")	533.4—838.2 (21"—33")	838.2 (33"—43"), 1092.2— 1524.0 (43"—60"), same layer continues below.
General remarks	Rabi jowar harvested.
Remarks	--

TABLE No. 5—cont.

Profile No.	(10)
Village	Khamgaon.
(Taluka)	(Georai).
Relief	Table Land.
Erosion	--
Drainage condition	Good.
Sub-soil water table	--
Horizon	I.	II.	III.	IV.	V
Thickness	177.8(7")	330.2 (13")	279.4 (11")	355.6(14")	381.0(15")
Colour	Dark brown.	Dark brown.	Reddish brown.	Dark brown.	Reddish brown
Structure	Blocky.	Blocky.	Blocky.	Indefinite	Indefinite
Consistency	Hard.	Compact.	Compact.	Compact.	Loose
Texture	Clay-loam.	Clayey.	Clay-loam.	Loam.	Clay loam
Miscellaneous concretions, roots, moisture, etc.	(1) Roots are present, (2) Fairly moist, (3) White and black concretions.	More moist than above, lime nodules are present, rootlets are present, black and white concretions.	More moist than above, lime nodules and white concretions.	More moist than above, plenty of lime nodules and white black concretions.	More moist than above, plenty of lime nodules and white and black concretions
Sample depth	177.8(0"— 7")	177.8—508.0(7"—20")	508.0—787.4(20"—31").	787.4—1143.0 (31"—45").	1143.0—1524.0 (45"—60") same layer continues below.
General remarks	Rabi jowar.
Remarks	Agricultural Seed Farm, Khamaaon.

TABLE No. 5—cont.

Profile No.	(11)
Village	Mominabad.
(Taluka)	(Mominabad.)
Relief	Gentle slope.
Erosion	--
Drainage condition	Fairly good.
Sub-soil water table	4.572(15')
Horizon	I	II	III	IV	V
Thickness	254.0(10")	355.6(14")	203.2 (8")	381.0(15")	127.0(5")
Colour	Black.	Yellowish brown.	Yellowish brown.	Brown.	Whitish brown.
Structure	Blocky.	Granular.	Blocky.	Blocky.	Indefinite.
Consistency	Hard.	Loose.	Compact.	Compact.	Moist and loose.
Texture	Clayey.	Clayey.	Clayey.	Clayey.	Clayey.
Miscellaneous concretions, roots, moisture, etc.	Roots, white concretions.	White concretions, moist.	White concretions.	White and black concretions.	White concretions.
Sample depth	254.0 (0"—10")	254.0—635.0(10"—24")	635.0—812.8(24"—32")	812.8—1193.8 (32"— 47")	1,193.8—1,397.0 (47"— 55"), 1,397.0—1,524.0 (55"—60"), same layer continues below.
General remarks	Cultivated land.
Remarks	Jowar and Kardi crops.		Moist.	Moist.	Moist.