Water Retention Characteristics of Soils in a Toposequence of Cumbum Valley, Tamil Nadu

The water retention characteristics of soils in a toposequence in Cumbum valley of Tamil Nadu revealed that water retention decreased with increasing soil moisture suction. The water retentivity at 0.03 and 1.5 MPa tensions was significantly and positively correlated with clay, clay plus silt, and CEC but negatively with sand content. The effect of organic carbon on water retentivity, both at 0.03 and 1.5 MPa tensions was non-significant. The soils with high clay content had more water storage capacity showing their potential for growing two crops in a year whereas the shallow ischolar_mained annual crops may be the best option for shallow soils with relatively low clay content and lower moisture retention capacity.