TYPES OF SOILS
Name Alluvial Soil
Colour Brown in Colour
Formation Transported soils
deposited by Himalayan
Rivers – Indus, Ganga,
Brahmaputra
Features Very Coarse at the upper
course.- near the break of
slope.
Medium in the middle
course..
Fine grained in the lower
course…
Spread Area -Widely spread &
& Important fertile Soil.
Appearance -Entire Northern Plain
-Based on age : Old
alluvial soil – Bhangar
New Alluvial soil -
Khadhar (Banghar has high
kanker nodules than
Khadar)
-Based on Size: Soils in the
piedominant plains -
Duars, Chos, Terai
Composition Various proportions of
sand, clay & silt when
moved inlands towards the
river valleys.
Contains adequate
proportion of potash,
phosphoric Acid, lime
Cultivation - Regions of these soils
are intensively cultivated
& densely populated due
to high fertility of the soil
- Soils in the drier areas are
more alkaline and can be
productive after proper
treatment and irrigation.
Areas found Northern Plains, Eastern
Coastal Plains, River deltas
Black Soil Red & Yellow Soil Arid Soil Laterite Soil Forest(Mountain) Soil
Black in colour.. Red in colour due Colours vary from red Red in Colour due to Based on the mountain
Other name - Regur Soil, to diffusion of iron to brown.. little clay and gravel red environment
Black Cotton Soil crystalline and sandstones
metamorphic rocks....
Yellow in colour in
hydrated form
Cilmatic Condition along Due to weathering Fine particles of sand Develops under tropical & Mechanical weathering
with parent rock of deposited by Wind subtropical climate with caused by snow, rain,
material.. igneous ,crystalline erosion. alternate wet & dry season temperature variation.
Made of weathering of and metamorphic Due to leaching process Soils in the lower valleys
the lava flow by rocks in the tropical areas of on the river terraces and
volcanoes heavy rainfall alluvial fans are fertile.
Extremely fine clayey Low water holding Sandy in texture & Deep to deep, Acidic Loamy & Silty in
material.. capacity Saline in nature. (pH<6.0) in nature, Valley sides..
More capacity to hold Some areas salt content coarser and crumbly in Coarse in upper slopes.
moisture.. is high and common texture. Experience denudation
salt can be obtained by and are acidic with low
evaporation humus content in snow
covered areas..
Develops deep cracks in Develops on Lower part of the soil Prone to Soil erosion & Different based on the
summer & help in crystalline igneous is occupied by Kankar land degradation due to mountain environment
proper aeration in soil. rocks in low rainfall due to Calcium Content. position on the landscape. and altitude with
Sticky when wet and areas. Can be used for growing sufficient rain
difficult to work unless Highly porous & less crops after adopting
tilted immedieately tilted fertile.. appropriate soil
after the first shower or less crystalline.. conservation techniques
during the pre-monsoon In deep soil areas, it
period. is fertile
Rich in Soil nutrients Deficient in Dry climate & high Deficient in plant nutrients Rich in humus but
like calcium carbonate, Phosphoric acid, temperature leads to Rich in humus in deficient in Potash,
magnesium, potash & organic matter and evaporation is faster & evergreen & deciduous Phosphorous & lime.
lime… poor in nitrogenous soil lack in humus and forests
phosphoric content materials but rich in moisture content. Less in humus in Desert
Potash. Contains Soluble salts. areas..
Less Crystalline..
Tilted for cultivation in Becomes cultivable Becomes cultivable Becomes cultivable with Becomes cultivable by
the first shower of with adequate dozes after proper irrigation adequate dozes of using Terrace Farming
rainfall .. requires les of fertilizers and fertilizers and manures & Contour Ploughing
fertilizers & manures manures Methods
Deccan trap (Basalt Eastern & Southern Western Rajasthan , Southern States, Western Hilly & Mountainous
region) , Plateau of parts of Deccan Gujarat. ghats region, Maharashtra, areas of Rainforests
 Extend in Rajasthan & Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Plateau, along the Odisha, West Bengal, Hills
Gujarat through a narrow Malwa, Madhya Pradesh, piedmont zone of of Tamilnadu, Karnataka,
corridor. Godavari & Krishna Western Ghats, Kerala, North East
Valleys. Odisha, Chattisgarh. regions
Crops grown Sugarcane, paddy, wheat, Cotton & Sugarcane Grams, Groundnut, Dry crops like Barley, Cashew nut, Coffee, Tea Tea, Coffee, Spices,
cereal crops, Pulses Oil seeds & Millets wheat, cotton, millets, Tropical fruits.
maize, pulses..