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The document discusses various types of soils in India, including alluvial, black, red and yellow, laterite, arid, and forest soils, highlighting their characteristics and agricultural suitability. It also addresses soil erosion caused by natural factors and human activities, and suggests conservation measures such as strip cropping and contour ploughing. Each soil type is described in terms of its location, composition, and fertility.

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38 views2 pages

Untitled Document 1

The document discusses various types of soils in India, including alluvial, black, red and yellow, laterite, arid, and forest soils, highlighting their characteristics and agricultural suitability. It also addresses soil erosion caused by natural factors and human activities, and suggests conservation measures such as strip cropping and contour ploughing. Each soil type is described in terms of its location, composition, and fertility.

Uploaded by

shivam39835
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Alluvial Soils:

→ Entire northern plains are made of alluvial soil.


→ Also found in the eastern coastal plains particularly in the deltas of the
Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri rivers.
→ Fertile soil therefore, fit for agriculture purpose.
→ Regions of alluvial soils are intensively cultivated and densely populated.
→ Rich in potash, phosphoric acid and lime which are ideal for the growth of
sugarcane, paddy, wheat and other cereal and pulse crops.
Black Soil:
→ Black in colour and are also known as regur soils.
→ Ideal for growing cotton and is also known as black cotton soil.
→ Found in the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and
Chhattisgarh also along the Godavari and the Krishna valleys.
→ Made up of extremely fine i.e. clayey material.
→ Well-known for their capacity to hold moisture.
→ Rich in calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime.
Red and Yellow Soils:
→ Found in the areas of low rainfall in the eastern and southern parts of the Deccan
plateau.
→ Also found in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the middle Ganga
plain and along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats.
→ Develop a reddish colour due to diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic
rocks.
• Laterite Soils:
→ Develops in areas with high temperature and heavy rainfall.
→ Found in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and the hilly areas of
Odisha and Assam.
→ Suitable for cultivation with adequate doses of manures and fertilizers.
→ Low Humus content because decomposers, like bacteria, get destroyed due to
high temperature.
• Arid Soils:
→ Found in the western parts of Rajasthan.
→ After proper irrigation these soils become cultivable.
→ Lacks humus and moisture because dry climate, high temperature make
evaporation faster.
→ Salt content is very high and common salt is obtained by evaporating the water.
• Forest Soils:
→ Found in the hilly and mountainous areas where sufficient rain forests are
available.
→ Feature differs based on location.
→ Loamy and silty in valley sides and coarse grained in the upper slopes.
→ Silt in the lower parts of the valleys particularly on the river terraces and alluvial
fans are fertile.

Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation

• Natural ways of Soil erosion: Wind, glacier and water lead to soil erosion.

• Human activities: Deforestation, over-grazing, construction and mining etc., contributes in soil
erosion.

• Measures to control Soil erosion:


→ Strip cropping
→ Planting shelter belts
→ In the hilly areas, using contour ploughing and terrace farming.

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