Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

Vol. 28, oct Suppl. Issue 2022; Page No.(S471-S476)

SOIL CHARACTERIZATION ALONG A TOPOSEQUENCE LOCATED INNORTH-CENTRAL PLATEAU AGRO-CLIMATIC ZONE OF ODISHA

Prava Kiran Dash, Antaryami Mishra, Hrusikesh Patro, Rabindra Kumar Nayak, Bandita Jena and Manoranjan Satapathy

Abstract

This study characterizes soil physico-chemical properties of a toposequence located in the Patana block ofKeonjhar district of Odisha. Three different representative pedons situated at three different topographicpositions viz. foothill land, medium land, and stream terrace land were exposed for evaluating horizonwise soil physico-chemical characteristics. Results indicated that soil pH, clay, porosity, water holdingcapacity, soil organic carbon (SOC), exchangeable bases, and cation exchange capacitygradually increasedfrom higher to lower topographies, whereas a reverse trend was observed for bulk and particle densities.Significant positive correlations have been observed for soil porosity, water holding capacity, exchangeablebases, and cation exchange capacity with clay; base saturation and exchangeable bases with pH.In contrast,significant negative correlations of bulk density and particle density with SOC;pH and exchangeable baseswith exchangeable acidity were also observed.