Characterization and Classification of Soils of Valsad taluka, Valsad District, Gujarat

Five representative pedons (P1 Umarsadi; P2 Segvi; P3 Chikla; P4 Bagal; and P5 Faldhara) from different landforms of Valsad taluka in the coastal region of Valsad district, Gujarat were studied for their morphological, physical, and chemical properties. The soils were deep to very deep, well to imperfectly drained, slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline (pH 7.8 to 9.7), non-saline tosaline (0.1 to 4.4 dS m-1), low to high in organic carbon (2.4 to 12.3 g kg-1) and CaCO3 (0.2 to 19.5%), and medium to high in CEC [21.8 to 69.9 (p+) kg-1]. Soil texture varied from sandy clay loam to clay with clay content ranging from 21.2 to 53.5 %. Bulk density was lower in P5 (1.28-1.33 Mg m-3) than the other pedons (1.21-1.48 Mg m-3). Saturated hydraulic conductivity (sHC) was less than the critical limit of 1.0 cm hr-1 in P3, and generally low due to high (>15) exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) and exchangeable magnesium percentage (EMP). Pedon P1 was classified as Sodic Haplusterts and P4 as Typic Haplusterts. The pedon P2 with an argillic horizon(<35 cm thickness) in the deeper layerswas classified as Inceptic Haplustalfs. The pedon P3 with lithological discontinuity was classified as Typic Ustifluvents and P5 as Vertic Haplustalfs. The pedons P1, P3 and P4 were developed in the basaltic alluvial parent material, and their subsurface properties were influenced by the paleosols. The pedons P1, P2, and P5 under perennial crops such as mango and eucalyptus have higher organic carbon and lower bulk density. Management measures are required to reduce subsoil sodicity, and sustain crop production in the heavy textured soils.