AGROBIOS NEWSLETTER Publishing Date || 01 JULY 2023

for which crop, how much fertiliser should
be used, and which fertiliser should be used
Farmers’ output will also grow due to the
Soil Health Card Scheme
Challenges with Soil Health Card Scheme
 Inadequate soil testing infrastructure
 Microbial activity and moisture retention are
essential but are missing in the Soil Health
Card
 Many farmers are unable to understand
the content, thus unable to follow the
recommended practices
 Some important indicators such as cropping
history, water resources or moisture of soil,
slope, depth, color and texture of soil etc. are
not included
 Lack of Coordination among agricultural
extension officers and farmers
 Number of soil samples per unit area is
between scheme officials not based on soil
variability
 Language barriers between scheme officials
and farmers

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5. Importance of Soil Profile to Crop

Production
GEETHA, G. P., DEEPA KALAPPANAVAR., ROOPA K
MUTTAPPANAVAR., AND RAGINI PATIL
SRF, REWARD Project, Dept. of Soil Science and Agril. Chemistry, UAS, Dharwad

A vertical section of the soil through all its layers plant or animal matter cannot be recognized
and extending into the parent rock is known as through naked eye.
soil profile. A soil profile is divided into layers
called horizons. The main soil horizons are A,
B, C and D. A soil profile is a historic record of
all the soil forming processes and forms the
unit of study in pedological investigation. It also
helps in soil classification and forms the basis for
practical studies of soils. A study of the soil profile
is important from crop husbandry point of view,
since it reveals the surface and the subsurface
characteristics and qualities, namely depth,
texture, structure, drainage conditions and soil-
moisture relationships, which directly affect
plant growth. It helps to classify the soils and to
understand soil-moisture-plant relationships. O
horizon is called as organic horizon. It is formed
in the upper part of the mineral soil, dominated
by fresh or partly decomposed organic materials.
This horizon contains more than 30% organic
matter if mineral fraction has more than 50 % clay
(or) more than 20 % organic matter if mineral
fraction has less clay. The organic horizons are Most important for plant growth, the A and
commonly seen in forest areas and generally B horizons are the top two layers of the soil. The
absent in grassland, cultivated soils. A horizon is where there is most soil life and is
 O1 – Organic horizon in which the original sometimes called topsoil. Depending on the soil,
forms of the plant and animal residues can the A horizon can be further divided into A1, A2
be recognized through naked eye. or Ao (organic). The surface soil or that layer of
soil at the top which is liable to leaching and
 O2 – Organic horizon in which the original
from which some soil constituents have been

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Publishing Date || 01 JULY 2023
removed is known as horizon A or the horizon
of eluviations. The B horizon is where clays and
materials washed down from the A horizon
accumulate.
FIG: A view of profile
This is sometimes called subsoil. The
intermediate layer in which the materials
leached from horizon A have been re-deposited
is known as horizon B or the horizon of
illuviation. The C Horizon consists of weathering
rock. The D horizon is bedrock. This is rock
which has weathered to produce the soil you
see above it (unless the soil has been deposited
from elsewhere e.g., floodplains contain soil that
has been carried downstream in water and then
deposited as the flood recedes). The profile is
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AGROBIOS NEWSLETTER
divided into four broad horizons called A, B, C
and D. Depending upon further variations within
these A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, C and D. The various
organic layers lying above the surface mineral
horizon also form a part of the soil profile. Both A
and B horizons collectively are called as Solum.
Solum plus parent material is sometimes referred
to as regolith. The parent material is termed as
bedrock of D horizon.
Importance of Soil Profile to Crop Production
Soil profiles are important for a number of
reasons.
 They provide insights into soil fertility, nutrient
content, and water-holding capacity, which
are critical for agriculture and plant growth.
 They also provide information about the
history of an area, as the layers of soil reflect
the environmental conditions that existed
over time.
 It can be used to determine the suitability
of a soil for agriculture i.e., The deeper
the profile, especially the top soil layer the
better the soil is for crop production.
 A deeper soil profile provides the roots of
crops with a bigger volume of soil to exploit
 It helps to determine the type of crop to
grow. Shallow-rooted crops are grown in
shallow profiles and vice versa.
 Important for land-use planning and soil
conservation.
 By understanding the characteristics of the
soil profile, land managers can make more
informed decisions about how to manage
the land sustainably.
 Soil profiles also play a critical role in carbon
storage and climate regulation. Soil organic
matter is a major sink for atmospheric
carbon dioxide, and understanding how it is
stored and cycling in soil profiles can help
inform climate change mitigation strategies.
 A Study of soil profile is important as it
is historic record of all the soil forming
processes and it forms the basis for the study
in pedagogical investigations.
 Soil profile is the key for the soil classification
and also forms the basis for the practical
utility of soils.