DISTRIBUTION OF DIFFERENT FORMS OF IRON IN TWO INCEPTISOLS AND AN ALFISOL OF WEST BENGAL AND THEIR RELATION WITH PEDOGENIC PROCESSES

摘要

The content of various forms of Fe in three profiles sampled from different parts of Nadia district in West Bengal was determined by selective extraction procedure. An approximate differentiation can be made among organic, amorphous inorganic Fe by selective extraction of soils with pyrophosphate and oxalate. The large apparent increase in the quantities of Fe_(oxa)-Fe_(pyr) suggested shift towards inorganic, pedogenic phases at the expense of organically bound phase. The Fe_(dith) values are higher than the Fe_(oxa) values in the soils, indicating that a considerable fraction is present in crystalline form. The Fe_(oxa)/ Fe_(dith) (active ratio) values estimate the degree of soil development and were found to be in descending order: Barahat ＞ Sonadanga ＞ Kaikhali. Correlation between different forms of iron and selected soil properties were examined.