IAPRS & SIS, Vol.34, Part 7, “Resource and Environmental Monitoring", Hyderabad, India, 2002
Table 2: Soil and water related constraints in Faridkot District
Map Physiography Soil Texture Ground Water Constraints
Unit Quality
Type Nature
1 Sand dunes Sandy Good - Low EC, Coarse textured soils Physical
(Sb) Low RSC (sand dunes) |
2 Sand dunes Sandy Marginal - High EC, Coarse textured soils Physical &
(Sb) Low RSC saline ground water Chemical
3 Sand dunes Sandy Marginal - Low EC, Coarse textured soils) . Physical &
(Sb) High RSC sodic ground water Chemical
4 Sand dunes Sandy Poor - High EC, Coarse textured soils Physical &
(Sb) High RSC brackish ground water Chemical
5 Alluvial plain Sandy to Good - Low EC, Coarse textured soils Physical
(Apl) Coarse loamy Low RSC
6 Alluvial plain Sandy to Marginal - High EC, Coarse textured soils Physical &
(Apl) Coarse loamy Low RSC Saline ground water Chemical
7 Alluvial plain Sandy to Marginal - Low EC, Coarse textured soils Physical &
(Apl) Coarse loamy High RSC Sodic ground water Chemical
8 Alluvial plain Sandy to Poor - High EC, Coarse textured soils, Physical &
(Apl) Coarse loamy High RSC Brackish ground water Chemical
9 Alluvial plain Coarse loamy to Marginal - High EC, Saline ground water Chemical
(Ap2 & Ap3) Fine loamy Low RSC
10 Alluvial plain Coarse loamy to Marginal - Low EC, Sodic ground water Chemical
(Ap2 & Ap3) Fine loamy : High RSC
11 Alluvial plain Coarse loamy to Poor - High EC, Brackish ground water Chemical
(Ap2 & Ap3) Fine loamy High RSC
12 Micro basin(Ap4) Coarse loamy Variable Soil salinity associated Chemical &
with water logging Hydrological
13 Alluvial plain(Ap5) Coarse loamy Variable Soil salinity Chemical
-salt encrustations
14 Alluvial plain Coarse loamy to Good - Low EC, No major constraint ~~ ^ -----------
(Ap2 & Ap3) Fine loamy Low RSC
4.3.1 Poor Ground Water Quality: The majority of ground
waters in the district either have high salt content (EC) or high
residual sodium carbonate (RSC) or both. The continuous use
of these waters for irrigation poses various types of hazards and
may render many areas unproductive.
Salinity Hazard: Ground water is rated hazardous, if the total
concentration of salts, as measured by EC, is high enough for
salts to accumulate in the crop root zone to the extent that yields
are affected. The total concentration of soluble salts in ground
waters of the area. varied from 0.31-7.53 dS m'!. The frequency
distribution curve shows that about 37 per cent water samples
from Faridkot district are saline having EC values above 2.0 dS
m'!, posing salinity hazard.
Alkalinity Hazard: The irrigation waters having higher
concentration of bicarbonate ions tends to precipitate out
calcium and to some extent magnesium as carbonates, as a
result soil solution becomes more concentrated. About 22 per
cent ground water samples have carbonate plus bicarbonate
concentration more than 15 percent of total anions. These
bicarbonate rich ground waters will cause precipitation of Ca
and Mg in soil.
Sodicity Hazard: The sodicity hazard of irrigation water is
evaluated by sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). The SAR of
ground water samples varied from 0.14 to 70.14 (meL/!)^ with
mean of 16.23. These high SAR waters cause permeability
problem in the soil wherein the rate of water infiltration into
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and through the soil is reduced to such an extent that crop is not
adequately supplied with water and consequently the yields are
curtailed.
4.4 Resource Management
Based on the soil and water related constraints, site specific
recommendations (Fig. 5) have been made which are as
follows:
Leveling of low dunes and bringing them under agroforestry
/agrohorticulture with the provision of drip irrigation system. /n
situ stabilization of high dunes by planting species like
Sarkanda (Saccharum munja), Ber (Zizyphus nummularia),
Pahari Kikar (Prosopis juliflora), Jand (Prosopis cineraria),
Subabul (Leucaena leucocephala), Kikar (Acacia nilotica)
along the periphery of fields to check the movement of sand.
Hazards of irrigation with poor quality waters can be minimized
with proper soil and water management. Irrigation with saline
water should not be considered as an alternative to fresh water
irrigation. Mixing of poor quality (saline) ground water and
good quality canal water reduces the salinity hazard. The
ground water of zone III rated as marginal-sodic (RSC 2.5 -7.5
me L!) can be used safely with recommended gypsum
application.
In the areas having saline and sodic ground waters, the
following alternative cropping pattern have been recommended:
