Abstract:
A study made on the morphological and physico-chemical characteristics of the kayal profiles of the Kuttanad region of Kerala revealed the following salient features. (1) These soils are classified under the order- ENTISOL, Sub order- Aquent and great group- Hydraquent according to the seventh Approximation. (2) Texturally they are classified mostly as silty loan or sandyclay loan, fine sand being the dominating fraction in all the profiles and layers. Only the surface soil of the Chithira kayal profile is clayey in texture with a maximum of 36.5 per cent clay. (3) The physical characteristics of the two profiles from the Rani kayal vary widely. While the profile 1 shows a decrease in clay content with increase in depth, the second profile shows a reverse trend for clay as well as fine sand. Fine sand is maximum in the middle layer of profile 1.
