www.IndianJournals.com Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale Downloaded From IP - 202.141.138.147 on dated 16-Apr-2014 S.K. Reza et al./Ind. J. Soil Cons., 38 (2) : 101-104, 2010 101 1. INTRODUCTION Soil morphology and the relative development of profile have been used significantly in the determinations of degree of development of soils and surficial depositions (Balster and Parsons 1968; Gile 1975). The soil formation under different landforms and occurrence of parent material discontinuities or other disturbance is sometimes difficult to determine. The morphology of soil reflects in a cumulative way the alteration of the parent material by soil forming processes. These can then be more quantitatively characterized and distinguished from those due to pedogenesis. Bilzi and Ciolkosz (1977) described a system for rating soil morphology and profile development using field morphological data. Using field morphological rating soils were evaluated for Chhotanagpur plateau of West Bengal (Sarkar et al. 1997) and Ghiladhari watershed of North Brahmaputra valley of Assam (Deka et al. 2009). The information on pedogenesis of soils using soil morphology rating for Siwalik region is scanty. The Siwalik fall in the sub-tropical region, have a peculiar climatic setting which is different from the Himalayas and plains. Geologically the Siwalik hills constitute sedimentary rocks such as sandstones, siltstones, conglomerates and clays (Wadia 1976) whereas foothill areas include recent deposits of alluvial and/ or colluvial nature. The present study attempts to evaluate pedological variation in terms of developments of soils of Panja Rao sub-watershed of Saharanpur district (U.P) using field morphological rating system. 2. MATERIALSAND METHODS The study area is situated between 30 0 14' to 30 0 21' N latitude and 77 0 33.5' to 77 0 42.5' E longitudes. The landforms of the study area are Siwalik hill, piedmont plain, alluvial plain and flood plain. Four representative pedons were studied for present investigation. Pedon 1 occurring on hills and ridges Vol. 38, No. 2, pp 101-104, 2010 Indian Journal of Soil Conservation Evaluation of pedological development of soils developed on lower reaches of Siwalik hills through field morphology rating system S. K. Reza * , Nayan Ahmed and Sharmistha Pal ** Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110012 *NBSS&LUP, Regional Centre, Jorhat - 785004. E-mail : reza_sac@yahoo.co.in **CSWCRTI, Research Centre, Chandigarh - 160019 ABSTRACT The field morphology rating scale was used to compare adjacent horizons with each other to give a comparison of the relative distinctness of horizons or to compare horizons in the solam with the C-horizon to give a relative profile devel- opment in soils occurring on alluvial landscape of Siwalik Hills. Relative horizon distinctness (RHD) in soil ranged from 1-14. The RHD of young undifferentiated soils varied according to consistence, coarse fragments and the nature of horizon boundary in the solum, whereas the same for older well developed soils varied according to colour, texture, structure and consistence in the profile. Relative profile development (RPD) of the younger soil developed on unstable landforms were low and maximum values were observed in A-horizon, while the values were higher in the soils developed on stable landforms and maximum values were in B-horizon. Key words : Morphological rating Physiographic Relative horizon distinctness Relative profile development ARTICLE INFO Article history : Received : February 2010 Revised : June 2010 Accepted : June 2010