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Reconnaissance Soil Survey of Sadar and Goalundo Subdivisions of Faridpur District

H. Brammer
FAO Deputy Project Commissioner
Soil Resource Development Institute, Dhaka. Formerly, Soil Survey Project of Pakistan, Directorate of Soil Survey, East Pakistan, Dacca

M. M. Hasan
Soil Survey Research Officer
Soil Resource Development Institute, Dhaka. Formerly, Soil Survey Project of Pakistan, Directorate of Soil Survey, East Pakistan, Dacca

A. M. Ibrahim
Soil Resource Development Institute, Dhaka. Formerly, Soil Survey Project of Pakistan, Directorate of Soil Survey, East Pakistan, Dacca

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The surveyed area has an area of 1225 square miles. Average annual rainfall ranges between 65-74 inches occurring most of the rainfall between May-October. In 1961, the population was about 1,260,000. The soils are developed in recent and sub-recent Ganges alluvial sediments. They are calcareous throughout the profile or at some depth and are mainly grey or olive to dark grayish brown, loams and clays on ridges and basins respectively. About 60% of the area is moderately to deeply flooded and 30% shallowly flooded in the monsoon season. The remaining 20% is either above normal flood level or is subject to intermittently saturation or very shallow seasonal flooding. Most soils become droughty in the dry season. About 40% of the land is triple cropped, 40% double cropped and 5% is single cropped. About 10% of the land is occupied by homesteads and 5% by water bodies. Rice, mainly aus and broadcast aman, is the principal crop grown and jute is the main cash crop. Good agricultural land is about 27.5%, moderate agricultural land is 45.5%, poor agricultural land 12.0%, very poor and non-agricultural land 0.5% and homesteads and water bodies 14.4%. There is a considerable potential for increased agricultural production throughout the surveyed area. With increased use of balanced fertilizers and irrigation dry land crops could be grown extensively on ridges and improved boro in basin sites.

Keywords: Soil, Survey, Land, Capability

Location: Faridpur and Rajbari district

Start Date: 07-01-1969

End Date: 31-12-1970

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Land management

Objectives:

1. To identify, classify and describe the major kinds of soils occurring in Madaripur and Gopalganj subdivisions of Faridpur district;

2. To prepare maps showing the distribution of these soils; and

3. To evaluate the properties of soils in terms of potentiality for improved use.

Methodology:

The survey was based on interpretation of aerial photographs followed by a carefully planned field traverses and laboratory analyses of representative soil samples that were collected. Air-photos used were of approximate scale of 1:50,000 taken by the then Pakistan Air Force in January-February, 1963. In part of Balaikandi Police Station adjacent to the Ganges-Kobadak project area 1:40,000 air-photos taken in 1952 were used. In general, field methods and descriptive terms used have been those given in the USDA Soil Survey Manual. A land capability classification especially adapted to the East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) environment has been used. A network of traverses was laid down so as to examine the major landscape units differentiated by study of the air-photos. Soils were examined as often as necessary along these traverses. The traverse and sampling intensity varied considerably from place to place according to the complexity of the soils and soil patterns and supplementary traverses were made wherever considered necessary. Generally, traverses were made at intervals of from 2-5 miles and observations along the traverses made at intervals of 10-200 yards. Profiles were identified and described from auger holes along each traverse, supplemented by numerous spot identifications from check holes. Representative soil samples were collected for correlation and laboratory analysis. Where necessary, soil phase or variant subdivisions were recognized on the basis of depth to a contrasting layer, degree of calcareousness, physiography, relief, erosion, drainage and irrigation.In general routine traverse examinations were made to a depth of about 4 feet, but occasional borings were made to a depth of 7-8 feet. Traverses were made on foot. Land rovers speed boats were used for transporting the field teams to and from the places of field traverse.

Source of Information: Reconnaissance Soil Survey of Sadar and Goalundo subdivisions of Faridpur District 1969; Dacca 1970; Reprint 2006, Soil Resource Development Institute, Dhaka.

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

1. United Nations Development Project	Budget:
2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations	Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

RSS is the first soil and land resource pool of the country. Besides SRDI, so far all kinds of soil and land resource maps and information reproduced from different institutions are based on the information included in RSS. It is experienced that the RSS report includes major baseline information of the area concerned and one can overview an area relevant to natural resource management, potentials, limitations and generalized solution at planner level.

The report is primarily intended for use by those responsible for economic and agricultural development planning at the national, regional and district levels. It provides information on which policy decisions might be based regarding agricultural development by such means as irrigation, flood protection, drainage, use of fertilizers and introduction of alternative crops or methods of husbandry. It indicates the different soil conditions which might require separate trials and also the area over which the results of such trials might confidently be expected to apply. The report is provided with soil association, land use, land capability and physiographic maps. The agricultural development possibilities by land capability subclasses are given in this report. The relative suitability of each soil for a number of common crops has been evaluated and tabulated.

Knowledge Management: Report/Proceedings