Soil Characterisation and Classification of Gollarahatti-2 Watershed, Karnataka, India

Land resource inventorisation is a method to assess the available natural resources for effective utilisation. To characterise and classify the soils at large scale (1:7920 scale), this study was carried out in Gollarahatti-2 micro-watershed located in Jagalur taluk of Davanagere district, Karnataka, India. Based on the landform and physiographic units the Gollarahatti-2 micro-watershed soils were categorised into eleven soil series and twenty- two soil phases and mapping units, and all the typifying soil pedons representing the study area were sampled. Morphological, physical, chemical and physico-chemical properties of the identified soils were characterised under field and laboratory conditions, and the soils were classified into the family level as per the USDA soil taxonomy. The soils were varied in depth from very shallow (<25cm) to deep (100-150cm), reddish brown (5 YR4/4 to very husky red (2.5YR2.5/2), slightly acidic to alkaline and non-saline. The texture of the soil was varied into sandy clay, clay loam and clay. The organic carbon ranged between low (<0.5%) to medium (0.5-0.75%). Further, the soils have high base saturation (>60%). Pedon 11 had higher exchangeable sodium percentages (>8%) in subsoil layers. The differentiated soils were grouped under 11 soil series mapped into 22 mapping units and classified into Lithic Ustorthents, Typic Haplustepts, Typic Rhodustalfs, Kanhaplic Rhodustalfs and Rhodic Kanhaplustalfs at subgroup level as per the USDA soil taxonomy.