Pedogenetic Characterization of Some Typical Soils of Gandak Command Area of Bihar for Evaluation of Land Suitability

Four representative pedons in a toposequence of alluvial fan of the Gandak Command Area of Bihar, located at Ramgarh (Chitupakar series), Chamanpur (Maksudpur series), Tekania (pathra series) and Sonhaula (Goniar series) are classified as Typic:Ustorthent, Typic Eutrochrept, Typic Haplustalf and Typic Hapbudalf, respectively. These form a typical taxonomic sequence as Entisol (P₁) → Inceptisol (P₂) → Alfisol (P₃ and P₄). The productivity ratings are high in case of soil region of pedon 3 followed by those of pedons 2 and 4 and the least in pedon 1. The soil associated with pedon 1 is moderately suitable for maize, wheat and rice whereas pedon 2 is suitable for wheat and maize and moderately suitable for rice. Soils represented by pedons 3 and 4 are suitable only for rice, while pedon 3 is also moderately suitable for both wheat and maize.