Abstract

Aamir Vajpayee Azim, Bahadur Premji and Ratan Kurien

The present study was conducted to study the variability in soil properties in relation to landforms, in the present investigation, two transects that is, Aravalli mountain ranges and Malwa plateau, were selected in the Pratapgarh district having eight landforms namely hill, pediments, valley, and plain in the Aravalli Mountain ranges and Malwa plateau, respectively. Total eight pedons were examined in the field and investigated in the laboratory using standard laboratory procedures. The soils on hill top and pediment were shallow, gravely sandy loam to clay loam single grain in texture with medium coarse weak sub angular blocky structure and exhibited dark yellowish brown to dark reddish brown colour. The soils of valley were deep, sandy loam to loam and silty clay loam to clay loam in texture with medium coarse weak sub angular blocky to medium fine moderate sub angular blocky structure and exhibited dark yellowish brown to dark reddish brown colour. The soils of plain were found deep, silty clay in texture with medium moderate to strong angular structure (angular and sub angular) and exhibited dark brown to very dark grayish brown colour. The available water capacity were recorded higher in the plain soils as compared to soils of other landforms as well as in Aravali mountain ranges and Malwa plateau. The pH was relatively higher in the soils of Aravali mountain ranges than Malwa plateau but EC was relatively lower in the soil of Aravali mountain ranges then Malwa plateau. Distribution of organic carbon was low in soils of all pedons but comparatively higher in soils of Malwa plateau. Base saturation was comparatively lower in the soils of lower topographic position. Cation exchange capacity was found positively correlated with clay and increases as clay increased down the slope as well as with depth. Concentration of exchangeable bases was in order of Ca 2+>Mg2+>K+ >Na+ in all the pedons soils