Influence of Parent Material on Soil Characteristics in a Topo-sequence of Tamil Nadu Uplands

B. Kalaiselvi; Rajendra Hegde; K. S. Anil Kumar; S. Dharumarajan; R. Srinivasan; M. Lalitha; Jagdish Prasad; S. Srinivas; N. Maddileti

Influence of Parent Material on Soil Characteristics in a Topo-sequence of Tamil Nadu Uplands

2023

Studying the soils of different parent material is of utmost importance as it is the basic material upon which soil develops. Nature and characteristics of the soils developed from four different parent materials such as, granite-gneiss, charnockite, calcic-gneiss and colluvio-alluvium were studied in Palani block of Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu. Soils had legacy with the parent materials and showed significant differences in their colour, texture, drainage, soil reaction and nutrient status. The soils were deep to very deep (100 to gt;150 cm), dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) to very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/1), well to somewhat poorly drained, moderately acid tostrongly alkaline (5.8-8.9) with low to medium in organic carbon (0.14-0.56 %). Soils of granite-gneiss and charnockite origin had similarity in their texture, gravel content, horizon sequence (Ap-Bt), soil colour, clay content and soil reaction. Soils of calcicgneiss were very dark gray in colour (10YR 3/1), non-gravelly, clay textured, clay content (55-66 %) and associated slickensides close enough to intersect. Soils of colluvio-alluvium had irregularity in the distribution of clay content and soil colour. Taxonomically the soils were classified as Fine-loamy, mixed, iso-hyperthermic Typic Paleustalfs, Fine-loamy, mixed, isohyperthermic Typic Haplustalfs, Fine,smectitic, iso-hyperthermic Typic Haplusterts and Fine-loamy, mixed, isohyperthermic Typic Haplustepts, respectively. Understanding the influence of parent materials on pedogenesis of these soils would help in optimal soil resource management for sustainable agriculture.

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