Forms and Distribution of Carbon in Soils of Dambal Sub-Watershed of Mundargi Taluk, Gadag District, Karnataka, India

Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2020) 9(8): 783-798 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 9 Number 8 (2020) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Original Research Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2020.908.084 Forms and Distribution of Carbon in Soils of Dambal Sub-Watershed of Mundargi Taluk, Gadag District, Karnataka, India K. S. Harshith Gowda, B. R. Jagadeesh* and P. L. Patil Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, UAS, Dharwad, College of Agriculture, Hanumanamatti-581115, Ranebennur(T), Haveri(D), Karnataka, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT A study on forms and distribution of carbon in the soils of Dambal sub-watershed of Mundargi taluk of Gadag district, Karnataka was undertaken during 2018-19. One K e yw or ds representative soil profile for each soil series was selected to represent twenty two soil Carbon fractions, series identified under Sujala-III project. Depth wise soil samples were collected and Soil profile, Sub- analysed for forms of carbon. Soils were generally sandy clay loam to clay in texture, bulk density and particle density increased with depth and on contrary porosity was decreased watershed, Soil series, with depth. The pH and EC values ranged from neutral to strongly alkaline and normal to Exchangeable strongly saline respectively. Organic carbon content followed decreasing trend with depth cations and irregular distribution was observed in free CaCO3. CEC of soil series was average 2+ 2+ + + with Ca found as dominant exchangeable cation followed by Mg , Na and K . Majority Article Info of soils possessed medium to high per cent base saturation. Organic, water soluble and active carbon fractions were decreased with depth in all the soil series, whereas inorganic Accepted: and total carbon did not follow a particular trend. Water soluble and active carbon showed 10 July 2020 Available Online: significant positive correlation with organic carbon, whereas inorganic and total carbon 10 August 2020 showed significant and positive correlation with CaCO3. Organic, water soluble and active carbon were significantly and positively correlated with each other, whereas inorganic and total carbon was significantly and positively correlated with each other. Introduction environment, all these are resolute by chemical, physical and biological properties Soil indeed alive and dynamic system of soil. consisting of minerals and microorganisms, the top-most layer of soil is comparatively Soil organic carbon is necessary for richer in nutrients and supports maximum improving soil quality, sustaining food bio-resource. The profile character varies production and sinking CO2 in the distinctly from place to place, particularly atmosphere, whereas its inorganic counterpart with respect to their depth, colour and (free CaCO3) is the cause of organic carbon composition. The mineral composition of the decomposition, restricting root proliferation, soil, organic matter within it and developing salinity (Eswaran and Van den 783 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2020) 9(8): 783-798 berge, 1992) and immobilizing soil plasma. latitudes and 75° 41′ 15″ to 75° 48′ 26″ East Moreover, average annual precipitation, longitudes, covering an area of about 4749.89 period of canopy cover, tillage, available ha (Fig. 1) and subjected to the detail of LRI moisture content, silt and clays have using IRS P6 LISS IV data at 1:50,000 scale noticeable effects on dynamics of soil carbon. in Sujala-III project. Soil resources are Periodical evaluation of OC is important in mapped at soil phase level and identified 22 semi-arid and arid regions. Attenuation of soil series (Anon., 2017). The major parent water resources, periodic drought, severe material in the sub-watershed is weathered erosion and summer fallowing has a schist and granite gneiss, climate of the area is detrimental effect on SOC level. semi-arid or hot tropical and monsoonic type. The entire sub-watershed has diversified crop, As the interface between the atmosphere, climate and soils comprises of both red lithosphere and biosphere, soil undergoes an gravelly clay and deep clay soils differing in intense vertical interchange of materials their physical and chemical characteristics. causing in sharp physical and chemical The soil depth was very shallow to very deep gradients from surface to bedrock. and gradient of land was nearly level to very Stratification of soil is the most noticeable gently sloping. The soil is moderately eroded outcome of this interchange and its extensive and some portion of the soil comes under reflection and synthesis form the basis of slight eroded class. pedogenetic and taxonomical study. The type, thickness, and arrangement of horizons can One representative soil profile was selected gives information about soil forming factors from each soil series and horizon-wise soil such as climate, time, topography and samples were analyzed for vertical vegetation type. Similarly, the vertical distribution of forms of carbon. Processed soil distribution of nutrients in soil should yield samples (<2 mm) were analyzed for different related insights into nutrient cycling processes physico-chemial properties using following (Smeck, 1973; Kirby, 1985). standard procedures. Watershed is a natural geo-hydrologic entity The soil samples were analyzed for particle that encompasses a specific area stretch of size distribution (Piper, 2002), bulk and land surface, where water from rainfall or run particle density by Black (1965). pH (1:2.5), off flows to a specific defined drain it may be EC (1:2.5) and OC by Walkley and Black’s a channel, naala and small stream or river. wet oxidation method (Sparks, 1996). Free The term Sub-watershed indicates CaCO3 (Piper, 2002), CEC and Exchangeable hierarchical division considered appropriate bases by (Jackson, 1973). The organic carbon unit for both survey, assessment of soil and content of finely ground (0.2 mm) soil land resources as well as for planning and samples was determined by using Walkley implementation of watershed management and Black’s wet oxidation method (Sparks, practices. 1996). The water soluble carbon was determined using the method as described by Materials and Methods Mc Gill et al., (1986). In brief, 10 g of soil was shaken for 1 hour with 20 ml of soil, Dambal sub-watershed (Mundargi taluk, followed by centrifugation (6000 rpm), Gadag district) is selected as study area is filtration and titration against standard ferrous located in Northern dry zone of Karnataka sulphate. The active carbon was determined between 15° 15′ 07″ to 15° 19′ 30″ North by the modified method of Blair et al., (1995) 784 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2020) 9(8): 783-798 as outlined by Weil et al., (2003). In brief, value of clay observed in BLD series and active carbon was determined by shaking 5 g lowest in JLG series. The amount of clay air dried soil with 20 ml of 0.02 M KMnO4 increased with increasing profile depth was for 2 minutes (horizontal shaker-120 rpm), attributed due to illuviation of the finer followed by centrifugation and measuring the fraction to the lower horizons. These light absorbance at 550 nm by colorimeter. conformities were also lined with The inorganic carbon (free calcium carbonate) observations recorded by Chari (2015) and content of soil samples was determined by Prathibha (2016). rapid acid titration method as described by Piper (2002) and expressed in g kg-1. Total Bulk density and particle density of the carbon was determined by using CHNS different soil profile of the different soil series analyzer (Vario EL cube model) by Dhaliwal were ranged from 1.19-1.51 Mg m-3 and 2.60- et al., (2011). The experimental results were 2.65 Mg m-3 respectively. The lowest and subjected to statistical analysis adopting highest value of bulk and particle densities Fisher's method of analysis of variance as was observed in (MTL and DNI series) and outlined by Gomez and Gomez (1984). (CKP and HHG series) respectively. The Testing of significance was done by SPSS mean value of both the parameters was 16.0 version and values are given at 5 per cent observed as 1.36 Mg m-3 and 2.62 Mg m-3, and 1 per cent level of significance. showed increasing trend with increase in depth in all soil series. Soils possessed higher Results and Discussion values of bulk density observed in lower horizons of soil profile compared to surface Physical properties of soil horizons in all soil series. It might be due to high smectite clay leading to compaction and The particle size analysis showed that the formation of slicken sides, leading to strong texture of the different soil profile of the structural aggregate formation and more different soil series was sandy clay loam to compaction of finer (clay) particles in lower clay in nature. The sand, silt and clay content layers caused by over-head weight of the in soil profiles varied from 12 to 62, 10 to 32 surface layers. The low bulk density values of and 24 to 73 per cent, respectively. The surface horizons could be accredited due to highest values of sand silt and clay per cent higher organic matter. The increased bulk observed in JLG, NGT and BLD series density with depth was attributed to increased respectively. This is might be due to compaction due to the load of overlying topography, in-situ weathering and horizons (Nagendra and Patil, 2015) and translocation of clay (Thangasamy et al., (Thangasamy et al., 2005). Porosity values 2005). It was further observed that the particle varied from 42.37 (CKP series) to 54.58 size analysis did not follow any pattern with (MTL series) in per cent and followed a soil depth. While, lowest values showed in decreasing trend along the depth in all the KPR, MJR and JLG series respectively. The profiles. Porosity of the soil series varied with mean value of sand (33.27 %), silt (19.97 %) one profile to another, due to variation in bulk and clay (46.77 %) was recorded in different and particle density of the soil profile.

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