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Reconnaissance Soil Survey of Dinajpur Sadar Subdivision (except Phulbari, Kakimpur, Nawabganj and Ghorarghat Thanas)

M. Rezaur Rahman
Deputy Director (Field)
Soil Resource Development Institute, Dhaka. Formerly, Department of Soil Survey, Dhaka;

Mr. Anwar Hossain
Deputy Director (Research)
Soil Resource Development Institute, Dhaka. Formerly, Department of Soil Survey, Dhaka;

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The surveyed area covers 956 square miles. The mean annual rainfall is 71 inches mainly falling between May-October. In 1961, the population was 749,962. The soils are developed in: (i) the unconsolidated recent and sub-recent Tista alluvia on level to very gently undulating ridges and basins occupying about 21.1% of the area. Mainly grey loamy soils are developed in these sediments; (ii) the unconsolidated sediments on nearly level to very gently undulating ridges and depressions on piedmont alluvial plain cover about 48.4% of the surveyed area. Mainly brown, dark grayish brown, medium textured soils are developed in these sediments; (iii) the semi-consolidated Madhupur clay on nearly level Barind tract occupying 27.2% of the area. Mainly gray, brown and red loamy soils on a mottled clay substratum are developed in these sediments; (iv) Mixed Barind tract and Tista alluvium on nearly level to very gently undulating ridges occupying about 2.6% of the area. About 49% of the area is very shallowly to shallowly flooded. The remaining land is either above normal flood-level or is subject to only intermittent saturation or very shallow flooding, and becomes droughty in the dry season.About 2% of the land is triple cropped, 54% double cropped and 31% is single cropped and 2% under forest, grassland, fallow and barren and 11% homesteads, water and urban land. Good agricultural land is about 46%, moderate agricultural land 40%, poor agricultural land 2%, very poor agricultural land 1% and homestead, water, urban land 11%. Rice, mainly aus and transplanted aman, and jute and sugarcane are the principal cash crops. There is a considerable potential for increased agricultural production in most of the surveyed areas. With improved seeds, increased use of suitable fertilizers, irrigation, modern crop husbandry, drainage, flood protection measures, production of drought-resistant crops such as millet, sorghum and groundnuts in parts could increase agricultural production.

Keywords: Soil survey, Agricultural, land capability

Location: Dinajpur district

Start Date: 01-01-1972

End Date: 31-12-1973

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Land management

Objectives:

1. To identify, classify and describe the major kinds of soils occurring in the 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 basis of survey was air-photo interpretation supported by a planned program of field traverses and laboratory analysis of representative soil samples that were collected. Air-photos used were of approximate scale of 1:40,000 taken in the dry seasons of 1951-52 and 1 inch: 1 mile photo mosaics made up from these. In general, field methods and descriptive terms used have been those given in the USDA Soil Survey Manual,where local conditions have required modifications to be made in these, the modifications have been described in the appropriate part of this report. A land capability classification specially adapted to the Bangladesh environment was 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 from 1-4 miles, and observations along the traverses made at intervals of from a few yards to approximately half a mile. Several profiles were described from auger holes along each traverse, supplemented by numerous spot identifications from check holes and natural soil exposures. At each observation point, the main properties of soils were described and notes taken on land use and depth and duration of flooding, if any. The soil reaction was determined with a Hellige-Truog soil test kit. Soil samples for correlation and laboratory analysis were taken from each soil series recognized.The major soil unit recognized was the soil series, covering a range of soils derived from similar parent materials under similar conditions of development and resembling each other in their major physical and chemical properties.

Source of Information: Reconnaissance Soil Survey of Sadar subdivision, Dinajpur district 1973

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