Lec: 12

Problem Soil Management

31 July 2017

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 1

Problem soil

Soils which are not suitable for arable farming

because of specific limitation
Cultivation: Not economical
Needs reclamation measures

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 2

Problem soil classification

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 3

Physical - Problem soil

Apt physical condition : better growth and yield

Soils physical properties / constraints

Bulk density
Porosity
Texture
Structure
Infiltration
Hydraulic conductivity

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 4

Slow Permeable Soil
Characteristics Distribution
Infiltration rates : < 6 cm/day Tamil Nadu : 7,54,631 ha
High clay content

Impact
Reduces entry of water into soil
Soil water recharge : Low
Increases run-off
Accelerates soil erosion
Nutrient removal from top soil
Impeded drainage
Reduced soil conditions
Toxicity of certain elements

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 5

Slow Permeable Soil - Management
Provision of drainage
Open or closed sub surface drains
Contour and compartmental bunding
Adopt
Ridges and furrows
Raised beds
Broad bed and furrow systems
Application of river sand or coarser textured soils
Application of organic manures
FYM, compost, green manure, coir pith, press mud, etc.
Application of soil conditioners
H-concentrate, Vermiculite, Jalasakti
Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 6
Excessively Permeable Soil
Distribution
Characteristics
Tamil Nadu : 24,12,086 ha
> 70 per cent sand
Devoid of
Finer particles
Organic matter
Weak aggregates
Poor soil structure
Inert, unable to retain nutrient and water
Leaching of nutrients

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 7

Excessively Permeable Soil - Management
Rolling 400 kg stone roller for 8-10 times at optimum
moisture conditions
Reduce macro pores and drainage loss
Application of clay soil
100 t ha-1
Provision of asphalt sheet, polythene sheets etc. below soil
surface

Application of organic materials

FYM, compost, press mud, sugar factory slurry, coir pith
Improve soil aggregation
Crop rotation with green manure crops like Sunhemp,
Sesbania, daincha, kolinchi etc. is also needed

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 8

Subsoil hardpan
Distribution
Tamil Nadu : 10,54,661 ha
Hard, impervious layer at sub surface (30 cm below)
Bulk Density: 1.8 Mg m-3
Genesis
Red soil
Illuviation of clay
Cementing action of oxides of Fe, Al and CaCO3
Black soil
Higher ex. Na - Dispersion of clay
Hard mass on drying
Continuous cultivation
Frequent ploughing
Accumulation of clay below plough layer
Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 9
Consequences of subsoil hardpan

1. Prevents root proliferation

2. Limits nutrients uptake only from surface soil

3. Decrease infiltration and percolation rates

4. Restrict soil air transport within profile

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 10

Management of subsoil hardpan
Deep ploughing / Chisel Ploughing
0.5 m depth at 0.5 m interval
Criss cross manner
2-3 years
Brakes hard pan and open up sub soils
Cultivating deep rooted crops (Tapioca, cotton)
Natural breaking of hard pan
Raising deep rooted semi perennial crops
Mulberry, Jasmine, Match wood tree
Application of organics
Improves aggregation and structure
Prevent clay movement
Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 11
Surface Crusting

Crust : Hard impermeable layer at surface level

Alfisol
Oxides of Fe & Al
Binds soil particles under wet condition
Small rainfall followed by immediate drying
Top few inch soil is dried & hard mass forms

Distribution
Tamil Nadu : 4,51,584 ha

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 12

Adverse effects of surface crusting

Prevention of seed germination

Inhibition of root growth

Poor infiltration

Increased surface run off

Poor aeration in the rhizosphere

Poor nodule formation

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 13

Management of surface crusting
Maintain optimum moisture content
Sprinkling of water at periodical intervals
Frequent irrigation to avoid surface drying

Ploughing soil at optimum moisture regime

Application of lime at 2 t ha-1 while ploughing

Application of organic manures at 12.5 t ha-1

Scraping of surface soil by tooth harrow

Crop management
Sowing of bold grained seeds
Growing of resistant crops

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 14

Fluffy soil

Low mechanical strength soil developed under continuous rice

cultivation
Puddling breaks soil aggregates (structure less mass)
Bulk density : decreased
Hydraulic conductivity : reduced
Continuous flooding
Soil particles in flux state
Low mechanical strength
Resulting in fluffiness
Sinking of drought animals and labourers
Poor anchorage to roots Distribution
Yield of crops : reduced Tamil Nadu : 25,919 ha
Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai
15
Fluffy soil management

1. Stop irrigation : 10 days before rice harvest

2. After harvest : compact the field

Soil : semi-dry condition

Pass 400 kg stone roller or drum filled with sand

8 times

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai

16
Shallow soil
Parent rock : 15-20 cm depth from surface
Distribution
Effect Tamil Nadu : 1,16,509 ha
Limited availability of nutrients
Exhausts soil nutrients in short time
Frequent fertilizer application
Restricts root elongation and spreading
Crop choice
Shallow rooted crops
Withstand hard/ rocky sub soils
Mango, ber, fig, country, goose berry, tamarind

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai

17
Water logged soils

Waterlogged : Soil pores in the root zone is saturated

Soil air
Exchange : Restricted or anaerobic
Oxygen concentration : Decreased
CO2 concentration : Increased
Soil structure : Detoriated
Soil strength : Decreased
Plant : Wilt or die

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai

18
Water logged soil classification

Depth of water Class

table (m)
<2 Waterlogged
2-3 Potentially waterlogged
>3 No waterlogging

Surface Water stands on surface for most of the

water logged year
Marsh Permanently or periodically inundated
by water
characterized by vegetation
Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai
19
Causes for water logging

1. Excessive rain

2. Excessive irrigation

3. Improper drainage design

4. No drainage provision (dams & water bodies)

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai

20
Water logged soil management

1. Provision drainage
Proper design
Sufficient capacity to remove all excess water
2. Appropriate land uses
Wet land crops (rice, bamboo, eucalyptus)
3. Utilization of land for aquaculture

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai

21
Summary
1) Problem soils

2) Classification of problem soils

a. Physical problem soils
b. Chemical problem soils
c. Biological problem soils

3) Physical problems soils

1) Slow permeable
2) Excessively permeable
3) Surface and sub surface hard pan
4) Surface crusting
5) Fluffy soil
6) Waterlogged soil
7) Shallow soil

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 22

 By
K. Manikandan
Assistant Professor

Department of Soils and Environment, AC & RI, Madurai 23