Characterization and Classification of Soils under Organic Farming in Hisar, Haryana, India

Soil survey offers a precise and comprehensive database of various soil types, their nature and the extent of their spread so that predictions about their characteristics and potentialities can be made. In order to enlighten the key processes controlling the underground ecosystem, a study was conducted at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Centre of Excellence for Organic Farming in Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar during 2022–2023. Seven representative pedons were characterized for morphological and physicochemical properties and classified according to USDA Soil Taxonomy and World Reference Base system. All the pedons were deep with A-B horizons and sand dominated the soil’s mechanical composition. Soils were characterized as neutral to alkaline, non-saline and calcareous with low to medium levels of soil organic carbon and phosphorus, low nitrogen and low to high potassium content. All pedons exhibited sufficient levels of copper and manganese but were lying in deficient to sufficient range in iron and zinc. Exchangeable cations followed the order Ca2+ > Mg2+ > Na+ > K+. As per USDA Soil Taxonomy, soils of study area were classified under Inceptisols as Typic Haplustepts and under WRB system, soils were classified as Haplic Cambisols (Ochric). As per land capability classification, pedons of the study area were classified as class I (minimal or no limitations for agricultural use), class IIs (low fertility limitations) and class IIIes (low fertility with erosion).