Sand and clay mineralogy of salt-affected soils of Uttar Pradesh

Mineralogy of sand and clay fractions of five pedons of the salt-affected soils supporting nine years old plantations in Raibarelli and Sultanpur districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh was studied. Presence of appreciable amounts of weatherable minerals in light and heavy sand fractions indicates juvenile nature of these soils. Illite constituted the dominant layer silicate in these soils; mixed layer minerals and kaolinite were the other layer silicates present in the clay fractions which in addition might contain quartz and small amounts of chlorite. The mixed layer minerals seem to have been formed as a result of weathering of biotite which is evident from chemical data. It has been observed that the plantation has changed the soil environmental conditions.