Assessment of soil aggregate stability and erodibility for different soil series of Babina watershed of district Jhansi in Bundelkhand region

Analysis of water stable aggregates (>0.25 mm) in different soil series of Babina watershed representing typical red (Imilia and Amarpur series) and black soils (Bedaura and Chamraua) of Jhansi district of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh revealed that back soils (Vertic Ustochrepts) were rich in water stable aggregatges as compared to red soils (Typic and Udic Ustochrepts, Typic Ustifluvents). Water stable aggregates among various soil series ranked in order Bedaura < Chamraua < Imilia < Amarpur. Water stable aggregates (WSA) were positively correlated with clay (r = 0.979**), silt (r = 0.529**), silt + clay (r = 0.912**), moisture equivalent (r = 0.986**), water holding capacity (r = 0.987**), organic carbon (r = 0.937**), total-N (r = 0.963**), available P₂O₅ (r = 0.933**), available K₂0 (r = 0.920**), exchangiable Ca++ (r =0.746**), exchangiable Mg++ (r = 0.881**) and clay/moisture equivalent (r = 0.822**) and negatively correlated with sand (r = -0.912), easily dispersible silt + clay (r = -0.0259), bulk density (r = - 0.986**), particle density (r = -0.876**), hydraulic conductivity (r = -0.936**), pH (r = -0.839**), EC (r = -0.976**), dispersion ratio (r = -0.983**), erosion ratio (r = -0.962**), erosion index (r = 0.962**), clay ratio (r = -0.501*) and silt/clay ratio (r = - 0.499**). Among various soil series, aggregates stability rose-up substantially with increasing clay content but plummeted with increasing slope percentage and extent of soil erosion.