Cornucopia of wisdom Dr.K.

Manikandan

Reconnaissance Soil Survey for state level soil mapping

Satellite image interpretation
- False colour composite (FCC) / Satellite imagery need to be interpreted in office
- Legends fixed based on variation
- Prefield map generated
- Profile points to be taken is fixed (based on different variations and extent of
variation)
- Plan for ten-day tour covering two districts
Ground truth survey
- As per plan, select one location for profile making
- Get GPS point
- With the aid of GPS, go to particular point
o Assure the correct progress in toposheet / cadastral map
- Make profile pits and describe it
Profile description
 First select place for taking pits ( consider all theoretical facts while selecting
place)
 The direction of pit should be east to west. But in general it should be along the
direction of shadow since the sun tilts some extends in winter and other seasons.
 Minimum depth is 1.2 m needed
 Size 60 X 90 X 120 cm ( In order to save time and labour )
 After taking pit
o Fix height tape
o Mark each horizon ( Consider colour difference and texture change and
moisture )
o Before horizon marking, make a slight scarp (to get the clear colour
difference and remove markings of crowbar )
o Take photo

 Measure depth for each horizon

 Last horizon: measure depth up to the depth of pit the give ‘+ ‘ sign (120+)
 Collect sample from each horizon
 CaCO3 test (effervescence test ) by using 1:1 HCl
 Numbering procedure
 Cud 1/1, 1/2., 1/3, so on
 Cud – refers the place
 1/1 – refers first profile, first horizon,
 1/2 – refers first profile, second horizon
 Sample collection
 Polythene bag numbered with permanent marker
 In this collect soil samples
 Then put this bag another polythene bag containing paper tag of
same number
 Mottling are more common, these are the patches of colour difference in various
horizons

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Cornucopia of wisdom Dr.K.Manikandan

 Texture analysis ( feel test)

 Consistency test (ribbon formation )
 Colour for each horizon using munsell colour chart
 Slicken slides: consider in black and clay soils
 Mostly found in vertisol
 Where this test is must
 Take a clod of small to medium size
 Broke this along the direction in which it brokes
 Look at the surface of separation
 Good glossiness represents the presence of slicken slides
 If it is somewhat light glossiness it represents the pressure faces
 Pressure faces are the before stage of slicken slides
 If the black soil does not contain slicken slides and very deep cracks then these
soil will be classified as Inceptisol ( non vertic haplustalfs )
 Then look on concretions ( these are made up of its own element, if you crush the
concretions, it will give uniform mass of its own separates )
 Cutans: these are the coatings of material on soil. This may be clay, iron, copper,
aluminium, etc. this can be easily differentiated from the concretions. If you crush
this, you can easily identify the soil and over its coating
 Then look for nodules ( iron nodules: will look like a very small ball of dark
brown stone like )
 Simillary for red soil you have to consider
 Then look on other features such as cracks, rabbit holes, crotonova