1* Associate Professor, Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, COA, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India. Email: kailash.malode91066@paruluniversity.ac.in (Corresponding Author)
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Engineering, PIT, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India. Email: dixitkumar.mistry17504@paruluniversity.ac.in
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India. Email: pravinaben.solanki38824@paruluniversity.ac.in
4 Assistant Professor, Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India. Email: dhara.suthar41928@paruluniversity.ac.in
Received: 26th Feb, 2026 | Revised: 8th Mar, 2026 | Accepted: 7th Apr, 2026 | Available Online: 20th Apr, 2026
The soils of Marathwada region of Maharashtra were characterized and evaluated for their suitability for pigeon pea cultivation. The soils varied from shallow to very deep and exhibited grey (10YR 3/1) to dark brown (10YR 5/1) colour. Soil structure ranged from granular to sub-angular blocky, while texture varied from clay loam to clay. The bulk density of soils ranged from 1.27 to 1.56 Mg m⁻³, whereas saturated hydraulic conductivity varied from 0.4 to 5.3 cm hr⁻¹ and generally increased with soil depth. The soils were slightly to moderately alkaline in reaction. The sand, silt and clay contents ranged from 9.7 to 25.9, 19.7 to 31.8 and 51.1 to 62.1 per cent, respectively, in different soil horizons. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) ranged from 40.3 to 62.5 cmol (p⁺) kg⁻¹. Majority soils belong to clayey in nature. Higher soil organic carbon and total carbon contents were generally observed in the surface and sub-surface layers compared with deeper horizons. The available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents ranged from 51.2 to 334.8, 1.0 to 27.10 and 229.6 to 583.8 kg ha⁻¹, respectively, in different pedons. Micronutrient analysis indicated that DTPA-extractable zinc was deficient in most of the soils. Based on field morphology and laboratory characterization, the soils were classified from Lithic Ustorthents to Typic Haplusterts according to USDA Soil Taxonomy. Soil-site suitability evaluation revealed that Pedon P1 was not suitable (N2) for pigeon pea cultivation due to severe limitations such as shallow soil depth and low organic carbon content. In contrast, other soils were found to be moderately suitable to highly suitable for pigeon pea cultivation. The yield-based suitability evaluation indicated that Typic Haplusterts (Pedon P6) belonging to the order Vertisols were highly suitable (S1) and recorded higher productivity compared to other soils of the region. The study highlights the importance of soil depth, organic carbon and moisture retention capacity in determining the suitability of soils for pigeon pea cultivation in the semi-arid agro-ecological zones of the Marathwada region.
Keywords: Soil organic carbon, soil site characteristics, pigeon pea crop, classification, soil orders.
How to cite this article: Malode KR, Mistry DY, Pravina P S, Dhara S. Soil Characterization, Classification and Suitability Evaluation for Pigeon Pea growing on some Vertisols of Marathwada Region, Maharashtra, India. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(34s):320. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.34s.40
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None.