56. Group of Soil Series No.56

This group of soils is similar to soil group No.55. The main difference is coarser-textured and coarse? grained elastic weathered-rock layer i.e. sandstone and equivalent rocks that are found at 50 - 100 cm depth. It occurs in low precipitation areas. They are low fertility and strong to medium acid. Lad Ya (Ly). Pu Sana (Ps) and Phon Ngarm (Png) series.                Majority of the land uses are upland crops and fruit trees.

Problems : Moderately deep soils (50-100cm.) to skeletal layer, lack of water in dry season, high erodibility, strong acidity in some places.

Management for upland crops or vegetables : Upland and vegetable crops could be well grown on leveled top soils with crop rotation. It needs to be improved with 2-3 ton/rai compose fertilizer or animal manure or mixed green manure (broadcast 8-10 kg/rai sword bean , 6-8 kg/rai cow pea or 4-6 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 50*50*50 pit is to mix 20-35 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 used in dry season.