| Sumario: | Physical characteristics of 8 sugarcane growing soils in Costa Rica were studied. This included 3 andosols, 2 latosols, 2 lacustrines and 1 alluvial soils. The andosols had a higher content of silt fractions in the surface horizon with the lowest bulk density, higher total porosity and high water retention on weight basis than others. The latosols were predominantly clayey with intermediate values of bulk densities and porosites and with the lowest retention of water on weight basis. The alluvial soil had more sand in surface, the lowest porosity and the higher bulk density as compared with the others. Intermediate values of bulk densities and total porosites were shown by the lacustrine soils.
The alluvial soil (Institute) retained more water on volume basis than the other soils; whereas an andosol (Birrisito) was somewhat intermediate in its water retention. Latosol (Paraíso) showed lower water retention values on volume basis. The soluble salt content was quite low in all soils.
In all the soils the clay content increased with profile depth, while the organic matter content decreased. The infiltration rate was found to vary with soil texture, compaction and constituent variables, being high in volcanic ash soils, but low in latosols.
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