Study on soils of Budhabudhiani Irrigation Project in Nayagarh District of Orissa: I. characterization and classification of soils and their productivity potential

A detailed soil survey was conducted in Budhabudhiani Irrigation Project in Nayagarh district of Orissa. Four soil series were identified. Ostia soil (Typic Haplustept) is the dominant one and occupies 54% of the area surveyed followed by Rabera soil (Typic Paleustalf) which occupies 30% of the area. Arada soil (Typic Ustorthent) and Petapalli soil (Aquic Ustifluvent), both placed under soil order Entisol, occupy 9% and 7% area, respectively. Physiography and parent materials influence the soil genesis to a great extent. Shallow water table, shallow soil depth and soil alkalinity are some of the constraints which adversely affect the productivity of the soil series. Under different methodologies of land evaluation like soil productivity rating, soil and land irrigability classification and soil-site suitability rating for field crops, the limitations are found to be different in different soil series. The actual productivity classes of four soil series are rated as ‘good’. There is a scope to improve the productivity of Arada, Rabera and Ostia soils as indicated by their respective coefficient of improvement (CI) values of 1.68, 1.60 and 1.30 and in all these cases, the potential productivity classes are elevated to “excellent”. The potential productivity class of Petapalli soil remains unchanged as it offers limited scope for improvement (CI=1.1).