Management of black Vertisols characterized by pot‐holes in the Chambal region,India |
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| Authors: | J Somasundaram R K Singh S N Prasad B K Sethy A Kumar K Ramesh B L Lakaria |
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| Institution: | 1. Indian Institute of Soil Science (ICAR), Nabibagh, Berasia Road, Bhopal 462038, MP, India;2. Central Soil & Water Conservation Research & Training Institute (ICAR), Research Centre, Kota 324 002, Rajasthan, India |
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| Abstract: | Crop yields in rainfed areas are primarily dependent on the rainfall pattern and stored soil moisture. High smectite clay causes the formation of cracks, which are a striking feature of black Vertisols which are also distinguished by the presence of pot‐holes. Soil water is recharged during the rainy season via these cracks, which also results in pot‐hole formation. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of different conservation measures on pot‐holes. Length, width and depth were measured during dry spells after the onset of the monsoon under various field treatments. The results indicate that uncultivated fields have a greater volume of pot‐holes (573 m3/ha) than cultivated ones due to unbroken gentle slopes, which would have caused silt‐laden runoff to travel longer distances to form pot‐holes. The results show that among the cultivated fields, a control plot had the maximum volume of pot‐holes (450 m3/ha), followed by a conservation bench terrace (CBT) (231 m3/ha), residue incorporated (RI) fields (142 m3/ha) and contour furrow areas (CF) (119 m3/ha). The CBT field treatment had a higher volume of pot‐holes despite a high percentage of micro‐aggregates and high total porosity. |
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| Keywords: | Soil conservation soil erosion soil management soil structure soil stability |
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