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TYPES OF SOILS IN INDIA YOU MUST KNOW

 TYPES OF SOILS IN INDIA YOU MUST KNOW 

                                               -NAGA SPURTHI 

 


INTRODUCTION

As a horticulture or agriculture student we must identify the soils in order to know the productivity and other properties of soil. Here are the top soils and their easy identification : 



                                

1: Alluvial soil (43%)

Colour: Light Grey to Ash Grey.

Texture: Sandy to silty loam or clay.

Rich in: potash

Poor in: phosphorous.

Crops : Wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane, pulses, oilseed etc are cultivated mainly.

Area : covers 143 sq.km in India . Widespread in northern plains and river valleys.

Properties. : Humus, lime and organic matter are present and highly fertile.

Examples: Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputhra plain, Narmada-Tapi plain etc 

Commonly known as : depositional soil -transported and deposited by rivers, streams etc..,.

Additional info : New alluvium is termed as Khadar and old alluvium is termed as Bhangar.

                    


2. RED SOIL (18.5%).

Colour: Red because of Ferric oxide. The lower layer is reddish yellow or yellow.

Rich in : Iron.

Poor : lime, phosphate, manganese, nitrogen, humus and potash.

Texture: Sandy to clay and loamy.

 Examples: Wheat, cotton, pulses, tobacco, oilseeds, potato etc..,.

Found at :Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, MH, AP, MP, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,Bihar, WB, UP.

Commonly as : Omnibus group.

               


3. BLACK SOIL 

Colour: Deep black to light black.

Texture: Clayey.

Rich in: Iron, lime, calcium, potassium, aluminum and magnesium.

Poor in: Nitrogen, Phosphorus and organic matter.

 Found at :Gujarat, MH, Karnataka, and MP and on the Deccan lava plateau and the Malwa Plateau.

Crops : cotton, wheat, jowar, castor, sunflower and millets.

Additional info: Swells and  becomes sticky when wet and shrinks when dried.

Self-ploughing is a characteristic of the black soil as it develops wide cracks when dried.

              

           

4: LATERITE SOIL :

Colour: Red colour due to iron oxide

Rich in: Iron and Aluminum

Poor in: Nitrogen, Potash, Potassium, Lime, Humus.

Crops: Rice, Ragi, Sugarcane and Cashew nuts are cultivated mainly.

Found at : Karnataka, Kerala, TN, MP, AP and TG and the hilly areas of Odisha and Assam.

Additional info: 

  • Name from Latin word ‘Later’ which means Brick.

  • Become so soft when wet and so hard when dried.

  • In the areas of high temperature and high rainfall.


5. Desert / arid soil

  • Texture: Sandy

  • Colour: Red to Brown.

  • High salt content.

  • Lack of moisture and Humus.

  • Nitrogen is insufficient and Phosphate is normal.Kankar or Impure Calcium carbonate content is high which restricts the infiltration of water

  • Seen under Arid and Semi-Arid conditions.

 

6: Peaty / marshy soil:

  • Areas :  heavy rainfall and high humidity.

  • Growth of vegetation : very less.

  • A large quantity of dead organic matter/humus which makes the soil alkaline.

  • Heavy soil with black colour.

        


7. Forest soil:

  • Regions of high rainfall.

  • Humus content is less and thus the soil is acidic.

             

8.Mountain soil:

  • In the mountain regions of the country.

  • Immature soil with low humus and acidic.


   




# So let me know in the comment section which type of soil you identified in your area don't forget to mention your area too….and mine is red soil from wanaparty, telangana.



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