Actual Productivity and Potential Productivity of Some Benchmark Soils of India

Fiftynine benchmark soils have been evaluated for actual and potential productivity. Both the types of productivity of loamy skeletal Lithic Ustorthents and Lithic Udorthents are poor. Productivity of Typic Ustipsamments too is poor at present, but has the potentiality to become an average one. Typic Torripsamments and Typic Torriflurents come under extremely poor class, Ustochrepts with Typic or Udic subgroups have similar productivity. Soils of Eutrochrepts, Ustropepts and Ustochrepts great groups, with Vertic subgroup have poor to average values. Natru-stalfs though extremely poor at present, the productivity can be improved by 8 to 10 times by following reclamation measures. Usterts, irrespective of their great group i.e., Chromusterts or Pellusterts and subgroup i.e., Typic, Udic, Entic, or Udorthentic have similar actual and potential productivity. Camborthids, Calciorthids and Paleargids have poor productivity. Salorthids and Natrargids having additional problems due to high amounts of shrinking and swelling type of clays are associated with poor to nil actual and potential productivity.