Indian Journal of Plant and Soil

The agro environmental problems such as soil degradation, erosion and deterioration of soil quality coupled with frequent seasonal droughts are major threats for sustained agricultural production in dryland region of Pulivendula tehsil (mapped area of 128609 ha) in Rayalseema plateau of Andhra Pradesh. The spatial information on agroland resources is scanty to assess current status of the soil quality under banana growing areas and its impact on erosion and decline in productivity. The land resource inventory on 1:25000scale was performed using false colour compsite (FCC) images of IRS-P6-LISS-IV data as topobase. Twenty five soil series were classified upto subgroup level in the order of alfisols (5), inceptisols (46%), vertisols (13%) and entisols (4%) and derived soil map with 43 mapping units as soil series association. These soils are lightly to moderately alkaline with low salt concentration (mean EC <0.5dSm-1) and high ESP (>7.61% in case of soils on shale) and moderately deep (mean of 97.81cm) to very deep as compared to soils on quartzite (mean of 30.75cm). These soils were evaluated as not susceptible (60764 hectares, soil erodability (K) of < 0.15 t ha h ha−1 MJ−1 mm−1) to weakly susceptible to water erosion (29037hectares, K < 0.20). In the present study, the Muencheberg soil quality rating (SQR) method was used and estimated that 42.62 per cent of area under hills and ridges have very poor soil quality and mean soil loss of 38.75t/ha/year (very high) but in interhill basins and colluvio-alluvial complex, have moderate soil quality with mean soil loss of 12.56 t/ha/year (high). The study stated that the systematic soil resource inventory programmes are very important for structuring soil-landscape information and for encouraging high intensive banana growing areas under drip irrigation system in the region.

Crop production and nutritious cycling are two of the most important tasks that the most cultivated soil has to do. Nutrient cycling is the earth's ability to provide food, fuel, and fiber for crops grown all over the world. Increasing nutrition has played a major role in increasing the supply of food to the world's growing population. However, the concentration of essential nutrients, such as nitrogen (N), has in some cases led to nutrient deficiencies, N overuse, unnecessary use and severe environmental losses affecting air and water levels, biodiversity. and human health. In contrast, food exports to developing countries cut down on nutrients. Better management is needed for all the essential elements that bring about sustainable agriculture and maintain the growth required for food production while minimizing waste, economic losses and environmental impact.

Soil infiltration in relation to organic matter and its humic components namely, humic acid and fulvic acid for different soils coming under different landforms namely, cultivated deltaic, non cultivated deltaic, depressed land and mudflats were analyzed for a coastal Block (Gosaba) of West Bengal. Results showed that organic carbon content of all soils were medium (0.54%) to high (1.28%), salinity was low to high (3.6-13.7dS/m). The steady state cumulative infiltration of cultivated deltaic soils were higher than depressed low soils may be because of higher fulvic acid content in deltaic soil (0.14-0.15%) than depressed soils (0.09-0.10%). The non cultivated deltaic soil also showed higher fulvic acid content (0.11-0.13%) than depressed soil (0.09-0.10%) The humic acid: fulvic acid ratio decreased with soil depth. The relationships between steady state cumulative infiltration and EC, pH, clay, porosity and humic acid were significant (r = -0.79*, -0.75*, -0.82*, -0.90** and -0.93**, respectively), exponential and negative. With increase in soil salinity, in general there was a decrease in organic matter content of all soils.