Major Land uses on acid Sulfate soils of Hau Giang province, Vietnam

Abstract

In recent years, rice crop intensification, which has put a lot of pressure and led to a great change in soil resources and its distribution. In Haugiang province of Vietnam, under different land uses, the previous soil map (2008) has changed and out of date. The research aims to update the soil map of the province under different land uses. The collection of 175 soil profile description data, and 51 soil analysis profiles. Soil classification was followed WRB 2006. The results showed that two major soil groups were found, in which four diagnostic horizons (Mollic, Umbric, Plinthic, and Sulfuric); one diagnostic property (Gleyic); and one diagnostic material (Sulfidic) were identified, and 15 soil types were classified. The Gleysols soil group have 14 soil types (hamoGL, hamoGL(hu), monplGL), (moGL(ptip), moGL(ntip), moGL(dtip), (umGL(ptio), huGL(ptio), umpplGL(ntio), umGL(ntio), huGL(ntio), umGL(dtio), (mowsGL(ntip), umwsGL(ntio)) total area of 9,551.32 ha, accounting for 59.34%; while Anthrosols soil group have one soil type (RGah) area of 66,252.91 ha, accounting for 40.66%. Soil map of the province was updated according to WRB 2006, which pineapple, sugarcane crops have a high tolerance of acidity and fruit crops are mainly on Anthrosol soil group, where acid sulfate soils, low in soil pH and base saturation, are dominated. While rice cultivation is dominated on most of Gleysols soil groups, including alluvial and acid sulfate soils. The acid sulfate soils of the study area have low pH, high acidity, high Al content, and low base saturation, in which crops need high tolerance of low pH such as pineapple, sugarcane, fruit crops, but most of the crops should grow on a raised bed for easy to leach soil acidity and toxicity.