Hydraulic Characteristics of Some Entisols, Inceptisols and Vertisols and Their Role in Salt and Water Management

Soil characteristics and hydraulic properties of Typic Ustorthent, Typic Ustochrept, Vertic Ustochrept and Typic Chromustert of the Tilakwada branch (forming part of head end of Sardar Sarovar Project, Gujarat) were studied in relation to water and salt management. At any given suct.fon more water was retained in Typic Chromustert followed by Vertic Ustochrept, Typic Ustochrept and Typic Ustorthent soils. Similar trend was observed for water storage capacity and available water content. Saturated hydraulic conductivities varied widely with an average highest Ks (5.89 x 10⁻⁶ m S⁻¹) observed in Typic Ustorthent and lowest (3.34 x 10⁻⁷ m S⁻¹) in Typic Chromustert. The critical watertable depths as defined by Talsma were 0.94, 1.11, 2.11 and 2.53 m for Typic Ustorthent, Typic Ustochrept, Vertic Ustochrept and Typic chromustert soils, respectively. The drainable porosity increased with increase in watertable depth. The highest maximum and average drainable porosity existed in Typic Ustorthent and lowest in Typic chromustert. Quick drying and excessive runoffwere the serious limitation of Typic Ustorthent and Typic Ustochrept. Typic Chromustert and Vertic Ustochrept soils, however, suffered from waterlogging during the rainy season, possi bilities of soil salinization and development of a perched watertable were more in these soils.