Topic:

Soils of Pakistan

Soil moisture is a vital requirement for plant growth and its measurement with laboratory

instruments is still limited to micro-geographic levels only. However, satellite remote sensing

happens to be efficient for macro scale measurements at regional levels. Soil moisture depends

on factors like rainfall.temperature, rate of surface run-off and evapotranspiration.To develop a

deeper and cleaner insight into the interrelationships of the dependent factors, the Remote

Sensing (RS) technology is being effectively employed in this of assessing the seasonal and their

inter-annual variations. A standard NASA GES DISC product of Global Land Data Assimilation

System based on mathematical algorithms of satellite model data has been employed for this

investigation. The data pertaining to Pakistan and adjoining areas was collected for soil moisture

,soil temperature,rainfall,surface run-off and total evapotranspiration.To over the year from

January to December 2014 and quarterly from April to June,july to September and October to

December. Composite and seasonal maps as well as time series graphs were used throughout the

process. Results for all the variables clearly indicated that in high altitude areas, almost every

variable has relatively higher values. It was concluded that spatial variations in soil moisture are

quite reliant upon land cover types and the amount of precipitation.

Factors in Soil Formation

Soil is defined as that part of unconsolidated materials covering surface of the earth which

supports plant growth. It has three major constituents: solid particles(salts, minerals and organic

matter),air and water. The type of soils formed has a function of topography,climate,vegetation
And the parent rocks from which the soil material is derived .Soil material transported and

deposited by running water is termed alluvium, while that transported and deposited by winds

forms Aeolian soil .Soils formed in situ are termed residual. Soil texture varies with the size of

soil particles. Coarse textured soils are sandy, fine textured soils are clayey, and a mixture of

sand and clay is called loam. The organic content of the soil also varies, being largely dependent

of the extent and type of vegetative cover .Solis of high organic content are darker in color , and

have more nutrients for plant growth than those of low organic content. Since most of Pakistan is

arid or semi arid ,the soils contain little organic matter. Soil forming processes are complex and

continous.As a result soils vary in their chemical composition,colour,texture and organic content

from place to place ,even within small areas. The ensuring discussion describes only the major

soil groupings of Pakistan.

Indus Basin Soils

The Indus Basin comprises a vast area of alluvial plains deposited by the Indus and its tributaries

and a small areas of loess plains. Most of the materials in sub-recent or recent in origin

,calcareous, and low in organic content. The soil can be divide in to three major

categories:Bangar soils; Khaddar soils and Indus Delta soils.bangar soils cover a vast area in the

Indus plain ,including most of Punjab ,Peshawar ,Mardan ,Bannu and Kachhi plains,and the

greater part of Sindh plain. These soils are deep ,calcareous, of medium to fine texture, low in

organic matter but very productive when irrigated and fertilized. In some ill drained areas, these

soils have become waterlogged and capillary action has carried salts to the surface. Some areas

show a puffy salt layer at the surface but these can be reclaimed by simple leaching, if supplied

with plenty of irrigation water. over very small areas strongly alkaline soil of patches have

developed and these being non porous are difficult to reclaim. In upper Chaj and rechna Doabs,
The submontane area bordering the Peshawar –Mardan plain and in the eastern potwar,the

bangar soils have developed under sub-humid conditions. Because of the the heavy rainfall they

have been leached of lime and are non calcareous, medium to fine textured and have a slightly

high organic content. These soils area also fertile when supplied with plenty of water and

manure. Khaddar soils are formed from recent and present day deposits along the rivers. Part of

these soils is flooded with each year, adding depositional layers of silt loam and silty clay loam.

The organic content of these soils is low but they are usually free of salts. Indus Delta Soils are

formed of sub recent alluvium and estuarine deposits. They cover the entire area of the Indus

Delta from south of Hyderabad to the coat .clayey soils, developed under flood water conditions,

cover about one third of the area. With irrigation, these soils are used for rice cultivation. Saline

loamy soils cover most of the delta .Some with salt crust of the surface have been reclaimed by

simple leaching and better drainage. Extremely saline patches can be used only for poor grazing.

Coastal estuarine deposits form the lower part of the delta which is a maze of tidal flats,

basins,and sea water creeks. The soils are extremely saline and barren, except for a weedy

vegetation.

Mountain Soils

Mountain soils occur in highland areas of the north and west, and are residual as well as

transported. Along the steep crest and slopes, and in the broken hill country, shallow residual

soils have developed. Under arid and semi arid conditions, these soils are under strongly

calcarrous,with low organic content.Furthermore,under sub humid conditions,there is more more

leaching and a higher organic content. In mountain valleys, soils are formed of alluvial infill’s of

the streams. These soils are calcareous silt loams and sandy loams of low organic content, They

are cultivated in patches only.

In sub montane area of the Potwar Plateau, shallow residual soils and silty eroded loess have
been formed. In places these soils are massive ,susceptible to erosion and strongly gullied
producing a dissected landscape. Lime content is high and organic content is low but with plenty
of water these soils are relatively productive. In lower part of inter montane valleys, and interior
basins of arid and semi arid regions, strongly saline soils develop. Excess of evaporation over
precipitation leaves a thick crust of salts at the surface of the intermittent lakes. For most part,
these soils are barren; The margins carry low shrubs and salt bush used for poor grazing.

Sandy Dessert Soils

The soils extend over some parts of the western Baluchistan and Cholistan and Thar deserts. Thal
deserts soils occur in large sections of the Sind Sagar Doab. Desert soils include rolling to hilly
sandy soils and clayey flood plain soils. Where the soils are formed of deep sand as in much of
Baluchistan, they are moderately calcareous and largely aoelian.In places,the windblown
material is mixed with old alluvium. The arid and semi arid desert sand areas have few
possibilities for improvement beyond very poor grazing.

Soil Classification and Characteristics

The physiographic of Pakistan is very unique and has a diverse landscape all over the country.
with a very distinctly climate in the whole country. Due to these reasons the physiographic of
Pakistan is divided according soil classification. The type of soil formed is a function of
topography, climate ,vegetation and parent rock from which the soil material is derived. Soil
texture varies with thwe size of soil particles. Coarse texture soils are sandy, fine textured soils
are clayey and a mixture of sand and clay is called loam. Soils of high organic content darker in
colour and have more nutrients for plant growth than those of low organic content. Since most of
Pakistan is arid and semi arid, the soil content little organic matter. Soils forming processes are
complex and continous.As a result, soils vary in chemical composition, color texture and organic
content place to place.

Pakistan’s Ecological Zones

 Northern mountains regions

 Western Mountains regions
  Potwar Plateau
 Sandy deserts
 Piedmont Plains
 Old River terraces
 Sub-recent river Plains
 Recent River plains
 Indus delta

The role of Soil classification in agricultural Development

The soil classifies for getting the better results from Pakistan’s agriculture and soil classification
identifies the soil category of area features, climatic conditions and types of soil and after
classification divide the areas according to soil categories. Every kind of crop, vegetation and
forests depend upon the soil materials for getting a better output of any kind of crops.

Benefits of Soil Classification as All these information can help in the progress

Of agriculture departments

 In soil classification, we collect data on all soil properties in soil management and its use
for specific purposes.
 We can determine the nutrient requirement for crops with the help of soil properties.
 Soil classification provides information about soil resources and its use for Pakistani
agricultural planning and development.
 Through soil classification, we can get detail about huge area, which is suitable for
industries.
 Soil classifications, provide information about the sandy Mountains areas of Pakistan,
that these are not suitable for agriculture on a national level.
 Changa Manga forest totally depends upon the soil because the soil of that area is
favorable for the forest .Changa Manga and other forests collectively have the prominent
share of agriculture in GDP of Pakistan.
  The government can determine the ways of progress in agriculture through soil
classification in agriculture if they use the right place for agriculture.
 A place is not suitable for every kind of agriculture because different places have
different types of soil, By using the soil classification, we can determine the exit place for
exit crop.
 Planning for soil and water resources can be determined by the soil classification.

Soil
The upper layer of the earth which is composed of different thin rock particles is helpful
in the growth of vegetation and plants that is called soil.
Basic components of Soil
Soil has three basic components:
 Solid particles like salt, mineral and organic matter.
 Air
 Water

Importance of Soil

The kind of soil totally depends upon climate, location, vegetation and rock material. The
agriculture of a country depends upon her soil structure and kinds. Soil is a gift of nature.

Alluvium

Those materials which are transported from one place to another by rivers and deposited at other
places are called alluvium.

Aeolian

Similarly wind also transports the material from one place to another which is deposited over the
surface that is called Aeolian

Classification of Soils

The soil of Pakistan may be classified according to regional basis.

Indus basin Soil

The Indus plain is made with the disposition of alluvium by Indus river its tributaries. For the last
thousands of years rivers have been depositing to soil in the form of layers. These soils have
more calcium carbonate and less organic matter .These soils are divided into three main
categories.

Bongar Soils

Bongar soils cover a vast area of Indus plain. The area includes most of the part of Punjab,
Peshawar, Mardan,Bannu and Kachhi plain. A major part of province of Sindh is comprised of
three soils. Some of these soils are rich and irrigated give very good production. Usually these
soils are far from the present rivers beds.

Khaddar soils

Khaddar soils are also formed along the rivers. So every year new layer of salt clay is deposited
These soils have low content of organic matter and salt.

Indus delta soils

These soils cover the river Indus Delta. They extent from Hyderabad to the south coastal area.
Most of the soils is clay and developed under floodwater. Rice is cultivated in the major part of
these soils.

Mountain soils

These soils mostly cover the highlands of northern and western areas of Pakistan. the soils of
northern mountainous areas have high content of organic matters because the climate is moist.

Whereas the soils of western mountainous areas have content of calcium carbonating low content
of organic matter because the climate of these areas is arid and semi arid. The soils of Potwar
plateau have high lime content. They are productive when plenty of water is available.
Sandy desert soils

The soils covers the western areas of Baluchistan, Cholistan and desert of Thar, Pakistan. They
are formed by layers of sand particles. They have more quantity of calcium carbonate. They are
made of deposition of sandy soil layer by layer arid and semi arid type of climate affect these
soils. So the economic activities are very low in deserts.