Ou Reang Ov: A new soil group for the Cambodian agronomic soil classification

Abstract

Only the rice soils of Cambodia have been described in detail (White et al. 1997). The naming and identification of the Rice Soil groups has become familiar to agronomists, extension officers and farmers in Cambodia due to their common usage and the many training programmes conducted on their identification and properties (Heer et al. 1999). However, the Rice Soil Manual does not describe all the soils of Cambodia (White et al. 1997). The key for identification of rice soils allows for undefined and unclassified soils. Most of the non-rice soils of Cambodia are likely to fall into this category. Increased emphasis on crop diversification and upland farming has created a need for more detailed information on the soils in these upland areas. This is one of a series of Notes describing new Soil groups on upland soils that are proposed for inclusion into the Cambodian Agronomic Soil Classification (CASC). The Ou Reang Ov Soil group has been recognised and described by the CARDI Soil and Water Research program under ACIAR Project, “Assessing land suitability for crop diversification in Cambodia and Australia”. The purpose of this note is to assist agronomists, extension officers and farmers to recognise the Ou Reang Ov Soil group, to outline its main limiting factors, soil management requirements, and potential for land use