Soil and Plant Analysis

Slow permeable soils

Slow preamble soils are those having infiltration rates less than 6 cm/day due to high clay content of the soil. Due to low infiltration rates, the amount of water entering the soil profile is reduced thus increasing the run-off. Further, it encourages erosion of surface soil which leads to nutrient removal in the running water. More ever, due to heavy clay content, the capillary porosity is relatively high resulting in impeded drainage and reduced soil conditions. This results in increase of some soil elements to the level of toxicity to the plants. It also induce nutrient fixation in the clay complex thereby nutrients become unavailable to crops, eventually causing deficiency of those fixed nutrients.

Management

1. The constraints in such soils can be managed by adopting suitable practices like
2. Provision of drainage facilities either through open or closed sub surface drains.
3. Forming contour and compartmental bunding to increase the infiltration rates of soils.
4. Application of huge quantities of river sand or red soils of coarser texture to dilute heaviness of the clayey soil.
5. Application of liberal doses of organic manures like farm yard manure, compost, green manure, composted coir pith, sewage waste, press mud etc.
6. Adopting ridges and furrows, raised beds, broad bed and furrow systems.
7. Application of soil conditioners like H-concentrate, Vermiculite, etc to reduce run-off and soil erosion.