Characterization and Classification of Some Soils of Kandi Belt in Jammu Siwalik Hills

Five typical soil profiles, representing Kandi belt of submontane foot hills of Siwalik Himalayas (Jammu) of Jammu and Kashmir, were studied. The soils were generally calcareous, variable in colour, texture, structure and pH. and characterised by low water holding capacity, CEC and organic carbon with dominance of bivalent ions (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺). Quartz was the dominant mineral in light sand fraction followed by muscovite/sericite and feldspar, while ferruginous minerals (hematite and magnetite) with fair amount of garnet, epidote, hornblende, biotite, kyanite, tourmaline and zirconform the heavy fraction. Mica or illite, chlorite, smectite, vermiculite and kaolinite were the main clay minerals. Similarity of clay minerals in all the pedons showed dominant influence of parent material on their genesis. The soils are Inceptisols and Entisols.