NREM-00
Soil Hydrology of Micro Watersheds with different Plantation
Crops
Chitra Shukla1 and K N Tiwari2
1, 2
AgFE Department, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
E-mail: chitra.shukla0@gmail.com
Abstract
The soil of micro watersheds with ten different types of tree plantations of 5-25 years age
grown in the experimental farm of Agricultural and Food Engineering Department, IIT
Kharagpur has been considered for soil hydrologic studies. These ten plantations were mainly
horticultural fruit crops (mango, guava, banana, sapota, coconut, cashew and litchi), vegetable
crops, tea and eucalyptus. Total 150 soil samples were collected at three consecutive depths
(i.e. 0-30 cm, 30-60 cm and 60-90 cm) with five replications under each plantations and
analyzed for soil textural classification, bulk-density (BD), pH, organic-carbon, electrical
conductivity, nitrogen, potassium and water holding capacity. Inversed auger hole method was
used for in-situ determination of soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks). Rosetta software
inbuilt with Hydrus-1D model was used to estimate Van-Genuchten soil hydraulic parameters
(Ɵr, Ɵs, α and Ks) using soil texture and BD as input variables. It was found that the estimated
Ks was consistently lesser than measured in-situ Ks. ANOVA one-way test was performed to
check the variability of Ks with in plantation crop and among different plantation crops. There
was no significant difference, in the Ks, values were found under same plantation; however, a
significant variations in Ks among different plantations were observed. Temporal effect of
existence of these plantations on soil properties of micro watersheds was analyzed using the
historical data reported in Talur (1970), Sudpita (1970) and Sarkar (1979) by earlier
researchers. A significant alteration in soil physico-chemical and hydrological properties were
observed. Organic carbon of soil was observed most negatively affected soil properties due to
the long existence of such plantations. Hence there is an urgent need to use soil conditions to
avoid deteriorating effect on soil properties.
Keywords: Micro watersheds, Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), Physico-chemical and
hydrological properties of soils.