Accumulation of Carbonates and Clay Movement in Sodic Soils of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Micro-morphological investigations of sodic soils were carried out at five different locations having variation in vegetation of same age group in Sultanpur and Raibareilly districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. These soils contained sufficient oriented clay to meet argillic horizon requirements. However, most of the cutans observed in the B horizons including grain argillans and striated void argillans were formed due to stress rather than illuvial features. B horizons of these soils have been enriched with secondary carbonates. The lattisepic and skel-masepic plasmic fabrics resulted from the moderate to high shrink-swell characteristics of these sodic soils. The sodic soils of Khara, Kanaksinghpur and Ramshahpur exhibited calcans and neocalcans in the B horizons that superimposed argillans. AU five pedons were polygene tic, as indicated by pedogenic carbonate features that were associated with argillans of these soils.