Types of soils in India

 

Introduction :

Soil is classified in different types based on texture, color, and moisture.

Alluvial Soil:

• Alluvial Soil is the most available soil in India i.e. 43%. Formed by the process of transportation and deposition by the rivers.
• Found in the northern part of Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra plains, and in peninsular India near Narmada, Tapi, Krishna, Godavari basins.
• Highly fertile in nature, rich in organic matter, rich in potash, poor in phosphorus, low in nitrogen and humus hence fertilizers are used for crop growth.
• The color of the soil varies from light gray to ash gray.
• New alluvial soil is called Khadar and Old alluvial soil is called Bangar.
• Khadar is more fertile than Bangar.
• Plants grow in alluvial soil are wheat, rice, maize, sugar cane, pulses, oilseeds.

Red Soil:

• These are formed due to the decomposition of rocks like granite and gneisses. they are rich in iron and magnesium
• This type of soil mainly found in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, southern Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Telengana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chota Nagpur plateau of Jharkhand and also seen in scattered patches in west Bengal, Jhansi, Mirzapur, parts of Rajasthan.
• Their color is mainly due to ferric oxides present in the soil.
• Low in nitrogen, phosphorous and organic material, rich in potash.
• Soil is porous and spongy.
• crops grown in this type of soil are Cotton, Rice, Wheat, Pulses, Tobacco, Jowar oilseeds millet, potatoes, and fruits.

 

Black Soil:

• Black soil is also known as Regur. The best soil for growing cotton.
• These are formed due to the solidification of lava during volcanic activity in the Deccan plateau 1000 years ago. so it is also termed as mature soil.
• Black color due to the iron and aluminum content present in the soil.
• These types of soil found in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
• Color ranges from deep black to light black.

 

• Rich in iron, lime, calcium, potash, aluminum, and magnesium carbonate.
• Low in nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter.
• They develop deeper cracks during the hot weather.
• They are well known for the capacity to hold moisture.
• Crops grown in the soil are cotton, citrus fruits, wheat, Jowar, Millet's, oilseeds, tobacco, sugar cane, vegetables, etc.

 

Laterite soil:

• This soil became soft when wet and hard when dry.
• Found in the areas of high temperature and heavy rainfall, in this type of condition black soil transformed in laterite soil.
• This type of soil mainly found in the eastern ghats of Odisha, the Western Ghats, Maharastra, and some parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Western parts of West Bengal.
• Rich in Iron and aluminum content. poor in nitrogen phosphoric acid potash and urea.
• Nearly all the Laterite soils are rusty to red color because of high iron oxide content.
• Due to low fertility, it is not suitable for agriculture but used as a building material.

Desert Soil:

• Desert soil is of sandy texture. They have poor clay and moisture content but high salt content.
• They are deposited by the wind activities found mainly in an arid and semi-arid region like and some districts of Punjab and Haryana, western parts of Aravali range.
• Their texture sandy and loamy.
• Due to its high salt content common salt is obtained from this soil by the process of evaporation.

 

 

Marshy soil:

• They are found in the areas of heavy rainfall and high humidity.
• They are highly saline rich in organic matter but deficient in the phosphate and potash.
• The growth of vegetation is very less due to the content of ferrous and Aluminum Sulphate.
• This soil is mainly found in the western parts of Kerala, coastal side of Orissa, Sunderban area of West Bengal.
• This soil is ideal for paddy cultivation.