Water Management in sub-tropical climate in Haiti Cul De Sac from the Soil Perspective

Zamir Libohova1, Thomas Reinsch2 Charles Kome2, Paul Reich2, Tony Rolfes3, Nathan Jones4, Steve Monteith1, Manuel Matos5, Linda Scheffe1, Susan Southard1, Rich

Ferguson1, Lillian Woods6 and Kim Green2

1 USDA-NRCS-National Soil Survey Center, 100 Centennial Mall NorthFederal Building, Room 152, Lincoln, NE 68508-3866 2 USDA-NRCS - World Soil Resources, 3 USDA-NRCS Pacific Islands Area, 300 Ala Moana Blvd. Room 4-118, Honolulu, HI 96850-0050 4 USDA-NRCS State Soil Scientist, 200 4th Street, Huron, SD 57350 5 USDA-NRCS Major Land Resources Area Soil Survey Leader, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico Soil Survey Office, 2200 Pedro Albizu Campos Avenue, Mayaguez, PR 006806 USDA-NRCS, International Programs Division, 5601 Sunnyside Ave. Beltsville, MD 20705

République d’HaïtiRepiblik d’Ayiti

Physiographic Setting of Cul de Sac

• 70 % flat with moderate- to high-density agriculture. Elevation varies from 52-130m over several kilometers with a downward gradient from southwest to northeast towards brackish Lake Azuei and Calman.

• 30 % mixture of limestone sedimentary rocks that crop out and overlaid by dissected calcareous alluvial deposits, dominated by savanna type vegetation. Elevations ranges from 130-330m.

• The area is confined by the Grey River to the west and White River to the east.

Grey River

White River

République d’HaïtiRepiblik d’Ayiti

The annual mean temperature in the Cul- de Sac Valley is 26.2°C;

The mean annual precipitation is 740 mm;

Falling in two rainy seasons.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec0

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0

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Cul de Sac Mean Monthly PrecipitationHaiti Mean Monthly PrecipitationCul de Sac Mean MonthlyTemperatureHaiti Mean Monthly Temperature

Month

Prec

ipit

ation

(mm

)

Tem

pera

ture

(0C)

République d’HaïtiRepiblik d’Ayiti

April–June Oct.–Nov.

Climate of Cul de Sac

When it Rains it Pours

République d’HaïtiRepiblik d’Ayiti

République d’HaïtiRepiblik d’Ayiti

Soil Moisture and Temperature Regime

of Cul de Sac

Lake Calman

North

North

South

South

Most common limitations

Restriction Criteria Restriction Type SymbolSlopes 1 to 15% Landscape Position LPDepth to Cemented Pan 50 to 150cm

Limiting Layers LLDepth to Hard Bedrock 50 to 150cmDepth to Soft Bedrock 50 to 150cmDepth to Water Table 60-90cm, in growing seasonKsat Minimum; 0.14 to 1.4um/sec; 0 to 50cm

Water Avaiability AWSeepage, Ksat Max; 14 to 44um/sec, 0-150cm Ponding Duration in Growing SeasonFlooding > Rare FrequencyDroughty (7.5 to 18.0 AWC) 0 to 150cm Fragments >75mm, 25 to 35% by WTD Av. 0-40" Physical Barriers PBLarge Surface Stones > 250mm (.1 to 5%) CaCO3 Maximum <50%; 25 to 100cm

Chemical Barriers CBExcess Sodium, SAR 6 TO 20; 0-150cmSalinity => 4 mmhos/cm Somewhat Limiting Soil Reaction (pH 3.5 to 5.0); 0 to 100cm Soil Reaction (pH > 9.0); 0 to 100cm

Site 12 – Sha-Sha Site 13 - Ganthier Site 11 - Delamn

Site 12 Site 13 Site 11 Site 4

Site 4 – Bel Fond Site 1 – Bas Boen

Site 1

Petro calcic (CaCO3)

Gravel

Colluvium/AlluviumCollu

vium

Collu

vium

AlluviumBedr

ock

Bedr

ock

Bedr

ock

Collu

vium

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Distance (m)

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Extractable Na

CEC

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Total Clay

Sand

Percent (%)0 25 50 75 100

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Total Clay

Rock Fragments (>2mm)

Percent (%)0 10 20 30 40 50

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Total Clay

Rock Fragments (>2mm)

Percent (%)0 25 50 75 100

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Total Clay Rock Fragments (>2mm)

Percent (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

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Total Clay

Rock Frag-ments (>2mm)

Percent (%)

Site 3

Site 3 – Sha-Sha

10D 9E 8C 7B 5A 3A 4A 1ASMU

LP/LL/PB LL/PB LP/LL/PB/CB LL/AW/PB CB AW/CB

Site 12 – Sha-Sha

LP/LL/PB

Site 13 - Ganthier

LL/PB

Site 3 – Sha-Sha

LP/LL/PB/CB

Site 11 - Delamn

LL/AW/PB

Site 4 – Bel Fond Site 1 – Bas Boen

AW/CBCB

7 8 9 10 11 120

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450 pH H2O

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

0 10 20 30 400

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450Extractable Na CEC (cmol(+) kg-1)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

0 1 2 3 4 50

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Organic Carbon (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

10 20 30 40 500

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450 Total Clay

Percent (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

Site 1: Bas Boen

0 25 50 75 1000

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Total Clay CaCO3 Clay SiltSand Rock Fragments (>2mm)

Percent (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

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CEC (cmol(+) kg-1)CaCO3 < 2mm (%)CaCO3 < 20mm (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

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Organic Carbon (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

Site 11: Delman

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 700

25

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Total Clay

CaCO3 Clay

Silt

Sand

Percent (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

25 50 75 1000

25

50

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125

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250

CEC (cmol(+) kg-1)

CaCO3 < 2mm (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

0 1 2 3 4 50

25

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Organic Carbon (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

Site 11: Del Man

Stratigraphic column for a flood plain

( Selley, 1988 )

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 700

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Total Clay CaCO3 Clay Silt Sand Rock Fragments (>2mm)

Percent (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

0 25 50 75 1000

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CEC (cmol(+) kg-1)CaCO3 <2mm (%)CaCO3 <20mm (%)Na (mmol(+) L-1)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

0 1 2 3 4 50

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Organic Carbon (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

Site 11: (West off) Del Man

0 25 50 75 1000

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Total Clay CaCO3 Clay Silt Sand Rock Fragments (>2mm)

Percent (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

0 25 50 75 1000

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CEC (cmol(+) kg-1)CaCO3 < 2mm (%)CaCO3 < 20mm (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

0 1 2 3 4 50

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Organic Carbon (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

Site 11: (West off) Del Man

0 25 50 75 1000

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Total Clay CaCO3 Clay SiltSand Rock Fragments (>2mm)

Percent (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

0 25 50 75 1000

10

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60

CEC (cmol(+) kg-1)CaCO3 < 2mm (%)CaCO3 < 20mm (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

0 2 4 6 8 100

10

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60

Organic Carbon (%)

Soil

Dept

h (c

m)

Site 3: Sha-Sha

Concluding Remarks• One size does not fit all;• Improve Soil Conditions:

• Physical – remove rock fragments from the surface layer;• Biological – Increase composting;• Chemical – Apply P/K and especially micronutrients.

• Select tree species and crop varieties that can tolerate and/or adept to high soil pH and Salinity;

• Diversify the Land use: • Intensify in small areas that are suitable for vegetables

and cash crops;• Agroforestry (Plant Fruit trees mixed with Savanna grass);

République d’HaïtiRepiblik d’Ayiti

Thank You

République d’HaïtiRepiblik d’Ayiti

République d’HaïtiRepiblik d’Ayiti

Questions