Author(s):

Kiran Kumara HA, Hundekar ST, Patil PL, Bidari BI and Tolanur SI

Abstract: The present study was undertaken to characterize soils in Hittnalli micro-watershed located in the northern dry zone of Karnataka. The study revealed that the pedons were classified as midland and low land categories. Soils were deep to very deep. They showed brown to very dark gray colour in dry condition, very dark grayish brown to dark grayish brown colour when wet at surface layers while in sub-surface layers colour varied from brown to black both in dry and wet conditions. The soils were clay in texture with moderate medium sub-angular blocky to strong medium angular blocky structure in surface and in sub-surface sub-angular to angular blocky. The pedons expressed slightly hard to hard consistency when dry, firm when moist and moderately to very sticky and moderately to very plastic when wet with moderate calcareousness in surface layers to highly calcareous at sub-surface layers. All the pedons exhibited a clear smooth and gradual smooth boundary, strong to violent effervescence with dilute HCl. In pedons clay dominated over sand and silt, the clay content increases with depth, bulk density in surface layers lower than the sub-surface layers, water holding capacity of sub-surface layers was higher than the surface layer. Soil pH was moderately to strongly alkaline nature with non saline, organic carbon decreased with depth. Free lime content follow an irregular trend with the depth. The dominant cation in the soil was Ca followed by Mg >Na >K with high CEC, it increased with depth followed the trend of clay. Base saturation was high with irregular trend with depth, a lower ESP (< 15%) indicated the non sodic nature. The available potassium showed decrease trend with depth.

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