Effect of Moisture on the Soluble Salt Content of Coastal Saline Soils of Sunderban Region

A laboratory study was carried out with eight soils collected from Sunderban coastal plains. Dilution of soil system from saturation paste to 1: 5 soil: water ratio increased the amount of soluble salts by 1.6 times. Moisture content, however, did not effect the total amount of water soluble plus exchangeable bases. The increase in water soluble salts at higher moisture content was due to hydrolytic and exchange reactions. Calcium ion was preferred over Mg⁺² by the soils. With an increase in moisture content, exchangeable Na⁺ and Mg⁺² decreased by 14.2 and 6.3 per cent, respectively. Exchangeable calcium, however, increased by 5.7 per cent.