Genesis and classification of rice-maize-sorghum growing Vertisols in semi-arid tropical region of Chinnapalem village of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

The study was carried out in semi-arid tropical ecosystem of Chinnapalem Village of Guntur District. This study was an embodiment with an objective of genesis and classification of some black soils in semi-arid tropical region of Andhra Pradesh. The black soils of Chinnapalem Village, Duggirala mandal were formed at nearly level to plain topography with river alluvium parent material. All the pedons exhibited clear and smooth boundary in surface horizons and diffuse and wavy boundary in the sub-surface horizons and A horizon was designated as Ap horizon while B horizon was Bss due to the presence of well-formed distinct slickensides. The soil colour varied from from very dark gray to black. Textural class of fine earth was clayey with medium to coarse, moderate to strong and angular to subangular blocky in structure. The consistence varied from very hard to extremely hard, firm to extremly firm and sticky to very-sticky and plastic to very-plastic in dry, moist and wet conditions, respectively. Due to the presence of vertic features like slickensides, pressure faces, cracks and presence of more than 30 % clay in all the horizons were grouped under Vertisols and classified as Typic Haplusterts and ideal for cultivation of rice, sorghum, and maize.