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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
Mineralogical study was carried using XRD analysis of six representative pedons of two horizones (Ap andBw) developed over granitegneissin Kanaginahala sub-watershed to describe the mineralogical composition of sand and clay fractions. The slope of the study area ranged from 1 to 3 per cent with moderate to severe erosion, soil colour was dark grayish brown (2.5 Y 4/2) tovery dark gray (10 YR 3/1), texture was clay in all the pedons. The pH was neutral to moderately alkaline (pH 7.55 to 8.32), with ECnonsaline (0.15 to 0.54 dSm-1) and organic carbon low to high range(2.82 to 9.02 g kg-1). CEC was relatively high in all the pedons, it ranged from 42.33 to 49.38cmol (p+) kg -1 and ESP was ranged from 4.78 to 8.86. The study revealed that’s mectite was the dominant clay mineral. It varied from 60.3 to 88.7 per cent in Ap horizon and 55.7 to 74.2 per cent inBw horizon, Vermiculite was ranged from 12.6 to 26.8 per cent in surface and 11.2 to 28.4 per cent in Bw horizon, followed by kaolin and quartz. Kaolin and quartz varied from 6.0 to 12.8 per cent and 2.7 to 13.6 per cent, respectively in Ap horizon and 5.2 to 13.4 per cent and 3.0 to 8.9 per cent, respectively in Bw horizon. In most of the pedons, the smectite content increased while kaolin content decreased with soil depth. Among second minerals, smectite dominated over vermiculite and kaolin.