CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS

S. SOIL TYPE FORMATION REGION CHARACTERISTIC USES

NO. FEATURES
1. ALLUVIAL These have been 1. Entire northern plains 1. Very fertile Mostly these soils contain
SOILS deposited by three are made up of alluvial 2. The Alluvial soils consist of adequate proportions of
important Himalayan soils. various proportions of sand, potash, phosphoric acid
river systems- 2. These soils are also silt and clay. and lime which are ideal
Most widely spread and Indus, Ganga and extended in Rajasthan and 3. As we move inwards towards for the growth of
important soil. Brahmaputra Gujarat through a narrow the river valleys, soil particles sugarcane, paddy,
corridor. appear somewhat bigger in wheat and other cereal
3. Eastern coastal plains size. In the upper reaches of the and pulse crops.
particularly in the deltas of river valley i.e. near the place of
the Mahanadi, Godavari, the break of slope, the soils are
Krishna and Kaveri. coarse.
Such soils are more common in
Due to its fertility, regions Piedmont plains such as Duars,
of alluvial soils are Chos and Terai.
intensely cultivated and
densely populated.
Soils in the drier areas are
more alkaline and can be
productive after proper
treatment and irrigation.

Types of Alluvial Soils- According to their age

Bangar (old alluvial) Khadar (new alluvial)
1. Higher concentration of kanker nodules 1. Lower concentration of kanker nodules.
2. Coarser particles 2. More fine particles
3. Less fertile 3. More fertile
#Piedmont plains- Alluvial fans so closely spaced that they form continuous plains.
Duars- floodplains and foothills of eastern Himalayas.
Terai- East to Nepal
 CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS
2. BLACK SOIL/ Climatic conditions 1. This type of soil is Ideal for growing
1. Made up of extremely fine i.e.
REGUR SOILS along with the parent typical of the Deccan cotton and is also
clayey material.
rock material are the trap (Basalt) region known as black cotton
2. They are well-knownfor their
important factors for the spread over northwest soil.
capacity to hold moisture.
formation of black soil. Deccan plateau and is
3. They are rich in soil
made up of lava flows.
nutrients such as calcium
carbonate, magnesium,
2. They cover the
potash and lime.
plateaus of
4. These soilskare generally
Maharashtra,
poor in phosphoric
Saurashtra, Malwa,
contents.
Madhya Pradesh and 5. They develop deepcracks
Chhattisgarh.
during hot weather, which
helps in the proper jaeration
3. Extend in the
of the soil.
southeast direction 6. These soilskkare sticky
along the Godavari
when wet and difficult to
and Krishna valleys.
work on unless tilled
immediately after the first
shower or during the pre-
monsoon period.
3. RED AND YELLOW Red soil develops on Red soils develop in These soils develop a reddish
SOILS crystalline igneous rocks eastern and southern color due to diffusion of iron in
in areas of low rainfall. partsof the Deccan crystalline and metamorphic
plateau. rocks.
Yellow and red soils are
also found in parts of It looks yellow when it occurs in
Odisha, Chhattisgarh, a hydrated form.
southern partsof the
middle Ganga plain and
along the piedmont zone
of the Western
Ghats.
 CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS
4. LATERITE SOILS They develop under These soils are mainly 1. Deep and acidic. 1. Laterite soils are
tropical and subtropical found in Karnataka, 2. Evergreen and deciduous suitable for
Laterite has been climates with alternate Kerala, Tamil Nadu, forest. cultivation with
derived from the Latin wet and dry season. Madhya Pradesh and the 3. Humus content of the soil adequate doses of
word ‘later’ meaning hilly areas of Odisha and is low because most of the manures and
brick. The soil is the result of Assam. micro- organisms, fertilizers.
intense leaching due to particularly the 2. After adopting
heavy rain. decomposers, like appropriate soil
bacteria, get destroyed conservation
due to high temperature. techniques
particularly in the
hilly areas of
Karnataka, Kerala and
Tamil Nadu, this soil
is very useful for
growing tea and
coffee.
3. Red laterite soils in
Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh and Kerala are
more suitable for crops
like cashew nut.
5. ARID SOILS After proper irrigation, 1. Arid soil range from red to brown color.
these soils become 2. They are generally sandy in texture.
cultivable as has been in 3. Saline in nature. In some areas, the salt content is very high and common salt is obtained
Kankar- Nodular the case of western by evaporating the water.
calcium carbonate Rajasthan. 4. Due to the dry climate, high temperature, evaporation is faster and the soil lacks humus
and moisture.
5. The lower horizons of the soil are occupied by Kankar because of the increasing
calcium content downwards.
6. The Kankar layer formations in the bottom horizons restrict the infiltration of water.
 CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS
6. FOREST SOILS These soils are found in 1. The soils texture varies according to the mountain environment where they are formed. They
the hilly and are loamy and silty in valley sides and coarse grained in the upper slopes.
mountainous areas 2. In the snow-covered areas of Himalayas, these soils experience denudation and are acidic
where sufficient rain with low humus content.
forests are available. 3. The soils found in the lower parts of the valleys particularly on the river terraces and
alluvial fans are fertile.