Physicochemical and Mineralogical Characteristics of Some Coastal and Inland Soil Series of South Gujarat—I, Physicochemical Characteristics

Physicochemical characteristics of coastal and inland black soils of south Gujarat showed these to be fine textured, having no sign of eluviation and illuviation, low in organic carbon content but high in cation exchange capacity (CEC). The CEC was positively related with clay content. The pH of inland soils was neutral to alkaline whereas that of coastal soils was alkaline. The dominant exchangeable cation was calcium in the former and sodium in the latter. Comparatively more calcium carbonate and organic matter were observed in the coastal soils throughout the profile. The electrical conductivity of the inland soils was quite low while it was very high in coastal ones. The total potassium content in silt and clay fractions of coastal soils was more than that of inland soils.