Soil survey database and rainfed cotton performance in catenary soils in Central India

The study demonstrates yield performance and prediction of hybrid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in the black soil catena under varying rainfall. The geomorphic analysis of the experimental soil catena identified distinct micro-topography namely; Hill top, escarpment, pediment, piedmont plain and valley. The experimental soils were (P1)-Lithic Haplustepts occurring on pediment, shallow, sandy clay loam in texture; (P2)-Typic Haplustepts occurring on upper piedmont plain, medium deep, clay loam; (P3)-Vertic Haplustepts on lower piedmont plain, deep, developed from colluvium deposit, clayey and (P4)-Typic Haplusterts occurring in narrow valley, very deep, clayey. The cotton (Hybrid H4) was grown for five years in the middle of the June under recommended pacakge of practices to collect the yield and to compare with computed yield under varying ranfall year, classified as normal, excessive and drought year. The computation of daily water balance showed that the cropevapotranspiration (Eta) varied from 207 to 519 mm depending on the soil and rainfall. Among the soils the computed yield showed high correlation (r = 0.961) for Vertic Haplustepts and least correlation for Typic Haplusterts, suggesting sustainability of the former.