DETERMINATION OF SOIL TEXTURE

Soil texture is qualitatively determined by RAPID FIELD METHOD which involves rubbing the soil between the thumb and fingers. In this process proficiency is gained through practice and making comparison with samples of known textural class determned by some quantitative method. Steps fortexture determination: 1. A small quantity of the air dried soil is moistened with water and mixed thoroughly on a glass porcelain dish to form a soft ball then worked out until stiff and sqeezed out between the thumb and the forefinger. 2. The feel to fingers is of forming ball stickiness or grittiness whether forming soil ribbons or merely crumbling upon sqeezing are observed. The sample is assigned following textural class: