Impact of Land Capability Classes and Land Use on Properties and Erodibility Behaviour of Soil of Ghatampur Watershed

The study was carried out in Ghatampur Watershed district Kanpur under National Watershed Development Project Area. The soils of Ghatampur watershed region are erodible in nature. Soil erodibility increased from land use capability class II to VI in the project area. Fallow land is most erodible followed by Rangeland, woodlots, cultivated land while orchard & grooves lands are erodible on the basis of water stable aggregates, dispersion and erosion ratio as principal indices of erodibility, soil under various land use capability classes may be arranged in the order of class VI > class V > class III > class II. The erodibility of soil under different present land use was found in the order Fallow land > Rangeland > Wood lots > Cultivated land > Orchard & grooves land, Erosion ratio was significantly and negatively correlated with clay (r = -0.920***) moisture equivalent (r= -0.669), water holding capacity (r=-0.685**), water stable aggregate (r=- 0.834***), organic carbon (r=-0.780***) and clay/moisture equivalent ratio (r=- 0.660***) but a positive correlation was recorded with sand (r-0.777***), Bulk density (r=0.709**), easily dispersible silt+clay (r= 0.888***), clay ratio (r=0.745***),dispersion ratio (r= 0.908***), Erosion index (r=0.432**),the correlation between erosion ratio and silt (r=-0.432**) was recorded to be negative but significant. Among various land use capability classes, soil erodibility decreased substantially with increasing clay content but increased with increasing advancing capability class and fallow land use. Soil of Ghatampur watershed area in erodible nature and require warrant and prompt attention for implementing intensive soil conservation measures in the entire watershed in order to subside the havoc of soil erosion within safe limits because adapted soil conservation measure variably effective to control the erosion.