Soil-site suitability evaluation for millets cultivation in Tatrakallu village of Anantapuramu district of Andhrapradesh

Abstract

A detailed soil survey was undertaken in Tatrakallu village, Anantapuramu district of Andhra Pradesh to evaluate the suitability of soils for millets namely sorghum, pearl millet, fox tail millet and little millets. The soil belongs to Inceptisols, Entisols, Vertisols and Alfisols orders. Fourteen soil series namely Tatrakallu-1 (TTK1), TTK2, TTK3, TTK4, TTK5, TTK6, TTK7, TTK8, TTK9, TTK10, TTK11, TTK12, TTK13 and TTK14 were identified based on soil depth, texture, color, coarse fragments and calcareousness were evaluated for soil-site suitability. The soil series viz., TTK1, TTK2, TTK4, TTK5, TTK6, TTK7, TTK8, TTK10 and TTK 14 were marginally suitable (S3) for growing millets namely sorghum, pearl millet, fox tail millet and little millets with limitations of wetness, soil fertility characteristics like organic carbon, pH and sodicity etc. whereas soil series such as TTK3, TTK9, TTK11, TTK12 and TTK13 were not suitable (N) for growing all the crops namely sorghum, pearl millet, fox tail millet and little millets crops with limitations of rooting depth, alkalinity, texture, slope, organic carbon, pH and gravelliness.