• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.45-51
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• 1975

The morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics of planosols in Korea were studied in an effort to establish the suitabilition of the planosols for agricultural development. The Yeongog series which are planosols were established in Korea. Results from the Yeongog series are briefly as follows : 1. Morphologically, the surface soils are brown to dark brown friable loam and subsoils are of varied colors but mainly are dark brown, black and pale brown mottles. The texture of these horizons are silty clay loam with moderate to strong platy structure and clay cutans are on the ped faces. The consistences of these horizons are extremely compact and hard when moist and sticky, plastic when wet. The substrata show varied soil colors and loam to clay loam. 2. Physically, the clay content of the Yeongog soils is highest in the subsoils and gradually decreases below the subsoils. Water holding capacity and bulk desity is higher than in other mineral soils. 3. Chemically, the organic matter content is low and soil reaction ranges from very strongly to strongly acid. The cation exchange capacity is medium and base saturation a high. Active iron, easily reducible manganese and available silicate are high compared with normal soils. 4. In chemical composition of clay fraction of the Yeongog series, sesquioxide ratio, $Fe_2O_3$, $K_2O$ and MgO are high. The cation exchange capacity of the clay fraction is also very high. 5. The clay minerals in Yeongog series are mainly kaoline, vermiculite with Al interlayers and illite. The quarts, primary minerals are in the Yeongog soils. 6. These soils are formed in a warm, humid climate under native grasses on the terraces and rolling or hilly footslopes. In soil classification, the Yeongog soils are classified planosols with claypan. According to 7th approximation system in U.S.A., the Yeongog series are classified as Fragiudalfs because they have an argillic horizon, a hard pan and a high base saturation which is more than 35 percent and classified as Eutric Planosols by FAO/UNESCO classification system.