Abstract
Six soil series representing major coconut growing soils of the Eastern Ghats in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu State, India, were evolved from granite gneiss and alluvium parent materials. Characterization of different soil properties was done using a detailed soil survey at 1:10000 scale. The soils were neutral to moderately alkaline in reaction (7.31 to 9.19), non-saline, poor to moderately well-drained and moderately shallow (<75 cm) to very deep (>150 cm) in depth. The soils were sandy to clay in texture, sub-angular blocky to crumb in structure, dark reddish-brown to brown, very low to high in OC content (0.06 to 2.70%), low to medium in AWC (3.44 to 22.39%), low to high in CEC (4.70 to 54.0 cmol (p+) kg-1) and having high base saturation (77 to 100%). The soils also had sizable amounts of exchangeable sodium (4.29 to 33.46%), which was maximum in P5, P6 and P1, and high clay content in P5 and P2. The distribution of CaCO3 in different depths was found to be maximum in P4 and P1. The soil orders identified in the coconut area were Inceptisols, Entisols, Alfisols and Vertisols. Assessment of soil resources and identification of yield-limiting soils factors on coconut could be by way of better management and improved productivity.
Highlights
Soil is a vital natural resource for the survival on the earth, and its assessment is a prerequisite for determining soil productivity and the sustainability of the ecosystem
In India, coconut cultivation is an indivisible implant of socio-historical culture as well as an ethnic identity
Coconut cultivation has been introduced to suitable locations in non-traditional states, including Assam, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Tripura, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh and the hinterland regions of the coconut growing states
Summary
Soil is a vital natural resource for the survival on the earth, and its assessment is a prerequisite for determining soil productivity and the sustainability of the ecosystem. Precise scientific information on characteristics, potentials, limitations, and management of different soils are indispensible for planning and developing soil resources and maintaining the productivity of different plantation crops like coconut (Lal, 2013). Coconut growing soils in South Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu yield among the major coconut growing states with 14,873 nuts, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 13,808 nuts (Singh, 2016). A proper understanding of the soil characteristics of the coconut growing soils in Eastern Ghats will be a key indicator for sustainable productivity. A case study was undertaken in the Eastern Ghats in Kaveripattinam block, Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu, to evaluate the soil properties for better management and productivity
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