CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF FIVE SOIL TYPES IN THE INDONESIAN SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM AT KRUENG MEUEH SUB-WATERSHED, ACEH PROVINCE

The operation of soil forming factors could simultaneously be formed into different or similar soil properties. Soil types are grouped based on the soil classification system. This research aims to study the soil chemical characteristics and soil development in several types of soil (The Indonesian Soil Classification System) in the Krueng Meueh sub-watershed. The research was conducted by using descriptive survey methods and based on the soil type map. In the study area, there were found five soil types, namely Alluvial, Latosol, Mediterranean, Brown Podsolic (BP) and Red Yellow Podsolic (RYP). In each soil type had one minipit, every a minipit consists are three layers (0-25, 25-50, 50-75 cm), and fifteen soil samples were taken from five minipits. The soil samples were air-dried and sieved 2 mm to analysis purpose of soil chemical properties in the laboratory. The results showed that value of pH H2O range 3.6-6.0, pH KCl 3.0-5.8, Organic-C 0.34-1.78%, exchangeable-Ca 6.7-8.9 cmol/kg, exchangeable-Mg 0.3-0.41 cmol/kg, exchangeable-K 0.16-0.62 cmol/kg, exchangeable-Na 0.12-0.15 cmol/kg, cation exchange capacity (CEC) 7.7-19.05 cmol/kg, base saturation (BS) 42.26 – 98.25%, exchangeable-Al 0-9.2 cmol/kg, exchangeable-H 0.16–2.44 cmol/kg and aluminum saturation (Al-sat.) 0-48%. Based on the Ca/Mg ratio, ∆pH and CEC, RYP and BP were classified as further development soils. Statistically, there were a correlation inter-soil characteristic, soil pH was significantly negatively correlated with exchangeable-H, -Al and Al-sat., and significantly positively correlated with CEC, BS. Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) showed that the soil chemical characteristics were variated among inter-soil types, except the content of organic-C and exchangeable-K.