INTRODUCTION

Soilis a broad term for the loose covering of

earth that spreads across the planet. It is the
result of the breaking up of rocks into
constituent parts, which are then worked
upon by a myriad of forces, including
chemical interactions with salts and the
physical workings of wind and water.
Soil as a whole entity contains examples of
three states of matter: the soil itself is solid,
and both air and liquid exist in the pore spaces
between individual particles of soil. There are
many different types of soil on the planet, as
http://www.indiamapsonline.com/thematicm
every soil has a different composition of
ap/images/india-soil.gif
minerals and organics, and every soil has
been subjected to different environmental
constraints.
FACTORS AFFECTING SOIL FORMATION
Climate
Vegetation
Age of rock
Relief and
Parent rock

TYPES OF SOIL

Types of soil
Eight major types according to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Alluvial soils
Black soils
Red soils
Laterite soils
Desert soils
Mountain soils
Saline and Alkaline soils
Peaty and Marshy soils
Alluvial soil
It is the most important type of soil found
Alluvial soil
in India covering about 40 per cent of the
http://www.lter.uaf.edu/synvol/chapter3/alluvium.jpg
total land area. It is very fertile and
contributes the largest share of
agricultural wealth. This soil supports
nearly
half of
the
The alluvial
soil
is Indian
found population.
mostly in the Northern Plains, starting from Punjab in
the west to West Bengal and Assam in the east. It is also found in the deltas of
the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri rivers in the Peninsular India. The
northern parts and the coastal areas of Gujarat also have some deposits of
TYPES OF SOIL
alluvial soil.

Many rivers originate from the Himalayan

Mountains and bring a large amount of
sediment with them. It is deposited in the river
valleys and the flood plains. Thus, the parent
material of the alluvial soils is always of
The
fine particles
transported
origin.of sand, silt and clay are
called alluvium. The alluvial soil can be divided
into old alluvium, also called bangar, and new
alluvium, called khadar.

Characteristics

http://www.indianetzone.com/photos_galler
y/51/Alluvial%20Soil%20in%20India.jpg

The new alluvium is deposited in the flood plains and deltas and are flooded
almost every year.
The old alluvium is found about 25 m above the flood level of the river valley.
The khadar soil is sandy and light in colour, while the bhangar soil is clayey and
dark.
The khadar soil is more fertile than the bangar soil.
The alluvial soils contain adequate potash, phosphoric acid and lime.
They are generally deficient in organic and nitrogenous contents.
The old alluvium often contains lime nodules, known as kankar.
The fertility of the alluvial soil varies from place to place. Due to its softness and

SOILcrops of3
fertility, alluvial soil is most suited to irrigation and canTYPES
produceOF
bumper

Black soil
The black soil is locally called regur, a
word derived from Telugu word reguda. It
is also called the Black Cotton Soil, as
cotton is the most important crop grown in
this soil.
Mostly found in the Deccan Trap, covering
large areas of Maharashtra, Gujarat and
western Madhya Pradesh. It is also found
in some parts of Godavari and Krishna
Black soil
river valleys, covering parts of Karnataka,
http://www.featurepics.com/FI/Thumb300/2010
1006/Black-Soil-1662718.jpg
Andhra
Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Characteristics
It has been formed thousands of years ago, due to the solidification of volcanic
lava.
This soil is made up of extremely fine clayey material.
It is well-known for its capacity to hold moisture.
It is rich in calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, potash and lime, but
poor in phosphoric content.
During the rainy season, black soil becomes sticky and is difficult to till as the
plough gets stuck in the mud.

TYPES OF SOIL

During the hot dry season, the surface of this soil develops cracks. These cracks
help in the aeration of the soil.
Actually the black soil should be tilled immediately after the first or the premonsoon showers.
Generally, in the upland regions, the black soil has low fertility, while in the
valleys or lowlands; this soil is darker, deeper and very fertile. Due to high fertility
and capacity to hold moisture, black soil is widely used for producing cotton,
wheat, linseed, millets, tobacco and oilseeds. With proper irrigation facilities, this
soil can also produce rice and sugar cane.
red soil
The red soil occupies about 10 per cent
area of India, mostly in the south-eastern
part of the Peninsular India.
The red soil is found in Tamil Nadu, parts of
Karnataka, southeast Maharashtra, eastern
parts of Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,
Orissa and Jharkhand.
This soil is formed due to weathering of old
crystalline rocks in the areas of low
rainfall.

Red soil
http://images.travelpod.com/tw_slides/ta01/314/25
6/red-soil-sydney.jpg

TYPES OF SOIL

Characteristics

Most of the red soil has been formed due to

weathering of igneous and metamorphic
rocks.
The red colour is due to the high percentage
of iron contents.
The texture of the red soil varies from sandy
to clayey, and the majority being loamy.
On the uplands, the red soil is thin, poor, and
porous and has loose gravel.
In the lower areas, the soil is deep, rich, fine
grained and fertile.
This soil is rich in potash, but poor in lime,
phosphate, nitrogen and humus.

Red soli at Sivanthaman , Tamil Nadu

http://travel.sulekha.com/india/tamilnadu/kanyakumari/photos/sivanthaman.jpg

With proper doses of fertilizers and irrigation the red soils can give excellent
yields of cotton, wheat, rice, pulses, millets, tobacco, oilseeds, etc.

TYPES OF SOIL

laterite soil
The word Laterite has been derived from
a Latin word meaning brick. The Laterite
soil is widely spread in India and is mainly
found on the summits of the Western
Ghats, Eastern Ghats, Rajmahal Hills,
Vindhyas, Satpuras and Malwa plateau. It
is well- developed in southern
Laterite Soil
Maharashtra, and parts of Orissa, West
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/hrXc2hUTFX8/UmDlmK2
Bengal, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,
H0KI/AAAAAAAAAIY/wc2eyDTDbVs/s1600/2200
993843_6d434fae02_n.jpg
Kerala,
Bihar, Assam and Meghalaya.
Characteristics
The Laterite soil is formed under conditions of high temperature and heavy
rainfall with alternate wet and dry periods.
Such climatic conditions promote leaching of soil. Leaching is a process in which
heavy rains wash away the fertile part of the soil.
This soil is red in colour and composed of little clay and much gravel of red
sandstones.
This soil, generally, is poor in lime and deficient in nitrogen. The phosphate
contents are generally high.

TYPES OF SOIL

Due to intensive leaching, the Laterite soil generally lacks fertility and is of low
value for crop production. But when manured and timely irrigated, the soil is
suitable for producing plantation crops like tea, coffee, rubber, coconut, areca
nut, etc. It also provides valuable building materials.
mountain soil
The mountain soil is generally found on
the hill slopes covered with forests. In the
Himalayan region such soil is mainly found
in the valley basins, the depressions and
the lesser steep slopes. The north-facing
slopes generally support soil cover. Apart
from the Himalayan region, this soil is also
found in the Western and Eastern Ghats
and in some parts of the Peninsular India.

http://www.indianetzone.com/photos_gallery/76/Mo
untain%20Soil%20in%20India.jpg

Characteristics
This soil is formed mainly due to the deposition of organic matter provided by
the forests.
This soil is rich in humus, but poor in potash, phosphorus and lime.
It is heterogeneous in nature and varies from place to place.
The mountain soil is sandy with gravels and is porous.

TYPES OF SOIL

For getting high yields of crops, heavy doses of fertilizers have to be applied. In
the Himalayan region wheat, maize, barley and temperate fruits are grown on
this soil. This soil is especially suitable for producing plantation crops, such as
tea, coffee, spices and tropical fruits in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Desert soil
The desert soil is found mostly in the arid
and semi-arid regions, receiving less
than 50 cm of annual rainfall. Such
regions are mostly found in Rajasthan
and the adjoining areas of Haryana and
Punjab. The Rann of Kachchh in Gujarat
is an extension of this region.

Characteristics

Rann of Kutchh
http://s3.travel.india.com/wpcontent/gallery/rannutsa
v/rann-of-kutch-1.jpg

The sand in the desert areas is partly of local origin and partly being blown in
from the Indus Valley.
It includes even the wind-blown loess.
The desert soil has sand (90 to 95 per cent) and clay (5 to 10 per cent).
In some regions this soil has high percentage of soluble salts, but lacks in
organic matter.
The nitrogen content is low, but the phosphate content is as high as in normal
TYPES OF SOIL
9

When water is made available through irrigation, the desert soil can produce a
variety of crops, such as wheat, millets, barley, maize, pulses, cotton, etc.
Shortage of water in the arid regions is the main limiting factor for agriculture.
Saline and alkaline soil
Contains salts like Sodium, Magnesium,
Calcium.
Infertile, unfit for cultivation.
Sandy to loamy in texture.
Parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab,
Haryana, U.P & Maharashtra.

Saline and Alkaline soil

http://www.turf2max.com/soilrestoration_files/calciu
m_carbonate_precipitate.jpg

Peaty and marshy soil

Occur in Humid region.
Formed by accumulation of organic
matter.
Black in colour.
Highly acidic and heavy.
Kottayam & Alleppey in Kerala, Coastal
Orissa, Sundarbans of W.B

Floating marshy peat mat at Pondicherry

Wildlife Refuge

http://www.nhdfl.org/uploads/NHB
%20photos/Ponemah_marshypeat.jpg

TYPES OF SOIL

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