Assessment of physical properties of soil in Kalimpong district of West Bengal, India

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze various soil physical properties. Samples were taken from two profile depths viz., 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm from three different villages in entisols of Kalimpong district. Data revealed that bulk density increases with depth and ranged from 0.83 to 1.11 g cm-3. Texture varied from clay loam to sandy clay loam. Water holding capacity ranged from 60.40 to 71.05% and percentage pore space from 55.5 to 61.5%. Significant variation in soil physical properties was recorded both due to site and due to depth. Particle density and specific gravity remained unchanged for most of the soil. Soil colour varied from brown to yellowish brown colour in the dry condition while dark brown colour predominated in the wet condition. The results revealed that the soils were in good physical condition due to adoption of organic farming in Kalimpong.