Abstract
Fourteen surface soil samples were collected from hilly region in Shan State (Southern), inland valley and meander floodplain in Mandalay Division, and deltaic plain in Bago and Yangon Divisions of Myanmar and subjected to clay mineral analysis. The clay mineralogical composition of the soils was found to have a good relationship with physiography as a total of the topography, parent material and soil type. Soils on the hilly region in Shan State (Southern) were characterized by the high kaolinite content in the clay fraction, whereas soils on the meander floodplain of the Ayeyarwady River system were dominated by mica. 2: 1-type expansible minerals (vermiculite, smectite, and mica/vermiculite/smectite-mica/smectite mixed-layer mineral) considered as the transformation products of mica were predominant in soils on the inland valley in Mandalay Division. Soils on the deltaic plain of the Ayeyarwady River system and on the meander floodplain of the Sittang River were characterized by major amounts of kaolinite with considerable amounts of chlorite-vermiculite intergrade or some amounts of mica. Inherent potentiality of the soils was assessed based on the type and amount of clay minerals. The assessment showed a large variability in the inherent potentiality of the soils, which is useful to effective management of soil for crop production.
