49. Group of Soil Series No.49

This group of soils is shallow with lateritic gravels and low fertility in low precipitation areas. Soil reaction is strong acid. Soils in this group are Borabu (Bb), Phon Pisai (pp), Sakon (Sk) and Sa Kaew (Ska) series.                Majority of the land use are various crops i.e. cassava, sugar cane, and mangoes but yield is relatively low.                Abandoned areas are commonly found, some places would be converted to areas of low secondary shrubs and grass lands.

Problems : Low fertility shallow skeletal soils over clayey layer, lack of water in dry season and soil erosion on steep slope. Very shallow, gravelly or lateritic soils that are not suitable for agriculture would be leave to be forest, graze land or fast growing trees.

Management for upland crops or vegetables : Upland and vegetable crops could be grown on thick leveled top soils with crop rotation. It needs to be improved with 3-4 ton/rai compose fertilizer or animal manure or mixed green manure (broadcast 10-12 kg/rai sword bean , 8-10 kg/rai cow pea or 6-8 kg/rai Crotalaria juncia) with soils before flowering and leave for 1-2 weeks. Chemical or liquid LDD fertilizer will also be applied according to recommendation . Farm ponds are recommended to preserve water to be used in dry season.

Management for orchard : Soil preparation in 75*75*75 pit is to mix 25-50 kg compose fertilizer or animal manure. Conserve the soils by cover crops, mulching, and contour or fencing the tree with vetiver. Application of compose fertilizer or animal manure with chemical or liquid LDD fertilizer at vegetative growth, before and after harvesting. Farm ponds are recommended to preserve water to be sed in dry season.