Moisture Characteristics of Aridisols and Their Relationship with Soil Properties and Mineralogy

Abstract

Nine soil pedons representing a range of arid zone soils of western Rajasthan were studied for various moisture characteristics. In general, water holding capacity, field capacity, moisture equivalent and available water capacity were the function of particle size fractions, exchangeable sodium percentage and organic matter content. Magnitude of increase in AWC did not show an increase in line with increase ill clay content. The very fine sand content also showed significant positive correlation with moisture characteristics. The differential moisture release pattern was explained by mineralogy of soil clays.