AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

SOILS

Of the various soil forming factors, topography and climate primarily influence the soil formations in the Dhulia district. The district in general, except for the central fairly flat and broad Tapi valley, presents an undulating topography with low hillocks in the southern area and the Hilar hills of the Satpuda ranges in the northern area. Rainfall in the northern area is moderate while it is low in the southern area, the southern most of which is a scarcity traet.

The soils of the district are derived from trap rock to the south of Tapi river; while to the north these are from the trap as well as sedimentary formations of the Satpuda ranges. The central Tapi valley region is a fairly recent alluvium developed on the bed of lacustrine origin. The northern part of the district has dark brown to yellowish brown soils of lighter type on the hill slopes, with clayey deep soils of the Tapi valley to its south. Between the Tapi and Panjhra river valleys comes the belt of medium deep soils mostly, with interception of medium and shallower soils in scattered patches, depending on the local conditions. Below the Panjhra valley in the southern part of the district lies the area of shallow to medium soils as per local relief conditions.

Characteristics of these soils from some representative areas and the profile description and analytical data are as follows: —

Light Soils 0.228.6 mm. (0".9").-Lighter soils are largely met with in northern and southern areas flanking on both sides of the central Tapi valley. In general these soils are partly alkaline in reaction with pH round about 8.2 with the total soluble salts moderately low (less than 0.3 per cent). Soils are light loams to clay loams in texture with sub-angular blocky to angular blocky in structure in the lower zone. The calcium carbonate contents are fair being less than 4.0 per cent. They are low in organic matter and nitrogen contents, varying from 0.2 to 0.3 per cent and less than 0.04 per cent respectively. The phosphate and potash levels are low to moderate with available phosphate varying from trace to 11.7 mgm. per cent and available potash from trace to 14.29 mgm. per cent. The exchangeable bases are calcium 23.5-32.5, magnesium 4.0-11.5, and sodium less than 2.5 m.e. per cent. In general these are low in fertility and require judicious supply of manures and fertilizers.

Medium soils 228.6-457.2 mm. (9"-18").-These soils are predominantly located in the southern and central zones of the district below,- the Tapi valley in Dhulia, Sakri, and Nawapur areas with intervening narrow belts of fairly shallow soils. The soils are dark brown to dark reddish brown in colour with fairly good drainage, granular to sub-angular, blocky in structure, loamy to clay loam in texture, alkaline in reaction with pH varying from 8.11 to 8.62. total soluble salts less than 0.3 per cent, calcium carbonate less than 4.0 per cent and the organic matter contents less than 0.3 per cent. The exchangeable calcium varies from 27.5 to 41.5 m.e. per cent while the exchangeable mg. is moderate to fairly high (4.0 to 13.5 m.e. per cent) which can be considered as undesirable when tending towards higher limit. Exchangeable sodium is less than 2.5 m.e. per cent.

As regards the fertility status, the soils are very poor in nitrogen contents with total nitrogen varying from 0.02 to 0.051 per cent, available phosphate is very low to fair varying from trace to 12.64 mgm. per cent, and available K₂O content is moderate, being about 14.29 mgm. per cent. The soils in general are deficient in nitrogen, organic matter and phosphate contents and therefore require adequate doses of the same for better harvest.

Medium deep soils 457.2-914.4 mm. (18"-36")-These soils are fairly scattered in many smaller river valleys and local pockets, and largely in Tapi and Panjhra river valleys on the outer side of the valleys. The soils are clay loam to clayey in texture with dark brown to very dark gray brown in colour and sub-angular blocky to angular blocky in structure. The soils are alkaline in reaction with pH 8.03 to 8.69 and the total soluble salts are between 0.2 to 0.3 per cent. the calcium carbonate contents are low to moderate varying from 0.3 to 4.0 per cent. The organic matter contents are poor, varying from 0.1 to 0.39 per cent, exchangeable calcium varies from 35.0 to 49.0 m.e. per cent, and the exchangeable mg varies from 14.0 to 17.5 m.e. per cent which is not a desirable feature. The exchangeable Na is less than 2.5 m.e. per cent. The nitrogen contents are very low, total nitrogen being 0.039 to 0.07 per cent. Available P₂O₅ is low to moderately high varying from traces to 33.32 mgm. percent. Available potash content is fair to moderately high varying from traces to 24.0 mgm. per cent. In general these soils are specifically deficient in nitrogen and organic matter contents in general and phosphate in cases, with high exchangeable mg. and high pH Application of manures and fertilizers is needed for these nutrients as per local conditions for better returns.

Deep soils more than 914.4 mm. (36").-These soils are mostly in the valleys of Tapi and Panjhra. Besides a few scattered local patches are sandy clay loam to clayey in texture with clay percentage upto 60.0 per cent at the highest and 40-55 per cent in general for most soils. Structure varies from sub-angular blocky to angular blocky with dark gray brown to very dark gray brown colour.

The special characteristic is that the sub-soil layers have diminishing clay percentage upto certain depth 1.219 to 1.524 metres (4 to 5 ft.) particularly in the Tapi valley. These soils lend onwards alkaline reaction, pH varying from 7.78 to 8.23. Total soluble salts are less than 0.35 per cent and calcium carbonate content is moderate, varying from 1.4 to 3.8 per cent.

Organic matter contents are very low varying from 0.12 to 0.37 per cent. Exchangeable calcium varies from 25.0 to 50.5 m.e. per cent; while exchangeable magnesium is from fair to moderately high, varying from 4.0 to 18.5 m.e. per cent which is not desirable when approaching upper limit. Exchangeable sodium is, however, less than 2.5 m.e. per cent.

The nitrogen contents are very poor varying from 0.035 to 0.057 per cent and the available P₂O₅ varies from fair to moderately high, 11.7 to 29.8 mgm. per cent. The available potash (K₂O) also varies from fair to moderately high varying from 11.77 to 37.5 mgm. per cent. In general the soils are more deficient in nitrogen and organic matter contents and need more manures and fertilizers to supply the same.

The following tables show the physical and chemical analysis of the soils in the district:-

TABLE No. 3

PROFILE RESIST SHEET OF DHUELIA DISTRICT

TABLE No. 3-contd. .

PROFILE RESULT SHEET OF DHULIA DISTRICT

TABLE No. 3-contd. .

TABLL No. 4

PROFILE EXAMINATION - NANDURBAR

TABLE No. 5

PROFILE EXAMINATION—NANDURBAR

TABLE No. 6

PROFILE EXAMINATION-DHULIA

TABLE-: No 7

PROFILE EXAMINATION-NAWAPUR

TABLE No. 8

PROFILE EXAMINATION-SINDKHEDA

TABLE No. 9

PROFILE EXAMINATION-TALODA.

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