Vol. 9, Issue 6 (2020)

Author(s):
MR Wahane, JP Sharma, NA Meshram, SS More and NH Khobragade

Abstract:
The soil survey was undertaken and evaluated prominent cropping systems and soil suitability for various crops in an area of Kokarda Village in Kalmeshwar Tahsil of Nagpur District of Maharashtra and studied eight typifying pedons and belongs to Entisols, Inceptisols and Vertisols types of order. The soil chemical and physical properties are affected by the landform and the geology of the region to a larger extent. The land suitability evaluation indicated that the soils had good potential for crop production because of their better rooting depth, high clay of smectitic nature associated with high cation exchange capacity (CEC) and plant available water capacity with a high base status. The soils were placed in higher suitability class for different crops due to their physical and chemical properties. All the soil units are not equally suitable for cotton-based cropping system, whereas the summit crests and shoulder slopes are moderately suitable and foot slopes (lower) soils are marginally suitable for cotton- wheat system. The soils of foot slopes (upper) are unsuitable for any cropping system. In the toe- slopes, the soils are deep and marginally suitable for cotton-gram system. The soils occurring in main valley-side slopes are very deep and highly suitable for cotton-fallow, marginally suitable for cotton-gram and moderately suitable for cotton-wheat systems, respectively. Overall and on the basis of soil evaluations, the suitable soil and cropping management strategies may be adopted to improve the productivity of cotton-based cropping systems.