Department of Soil Science, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, Trichy-620 009, Tamil Nadu, India
*Corresponding author's e-mail and address sabareeshwaris99@gmail.com Department of soil science, Agriculture College and Research Institute, Madurai-625 104, Tamil Nadu, India.
Online published on 16 July, 2018.
Five pedons (P) were evaluated for their suitability to maize as alternate crop for the existing dominant rice crop at water scarce condition by variation in physiography, parent materials, and soil nutrients in Ponnaniyar basin. The pedons had the parent materials of non-calcareous gneiss with feldspar (P1), granite and feldspar intermingled (P2), weathered gneiss (P3), weathered quartz and felspatic gneiss (P4) and gneiss with lime (P5) with soil orders of Vertisol (P3, P5), Inceptisol (P1, P2) and Alfisol (P4). The soils were low, medium and high in available N, P and K status respectively. Based on the soil analytical report suitability of maize was established. Kunnatur, Eliyattur and Tiruchengodu series are moderately suitable (S2) for maize cultivation. Whereas, Manapparai and Pilamedu series are highly suitable (S1) for maize cultivation. Also, basedon the soilfertility data, the map was generated using-the software Arc GIS 10.1 with the help of GPS information for future reference.
Crop suitability, Fertility mapping, Land evaluation, Pedological investigations
