Characterization and Classification of Entisols in Different Soil Moisture Regimes of Punjab

The soils of Punjab in north-west India have developed on alluvial deposits, reworked by aeolian action at some places. False colour composites generated from bands 2, 3 and 4 were used to delineate and evaluate soil-landscape relationships of the soils belonging to Entisol order, Entisols mostly occur on convex shoulder slopes of hills, active flood plains, recent flood plains and sand dunes in the udic, ustic and aridic zones. At the suborder level, these are classified as Orthents, Fluvents and Psamments. Orthents are represented by Typic Udorthents on the convex shoulder slopes of hills in the upper Kandi zone; by Typic and Aquic Ustorthents in the lower Kandi zone and flood plains in the central plain zone; and by Ustic Torriorthents in the interdunal areas of the aridic zone. Fluvents, represented by Typic and Aquic Ustifluvents occur along the rivers and their tributaries in the ustic region. Psamments are represented by Typic Ustipsamments on the sand dunes and Aquic Ustipsamments in the active flood plains of rivers in the central ustic zone; and by Ustic Torripsamments in the aridic zone. The morphological, physical and chemical properties and land use limitations of these Entisols have been discussed.