Types of Soil in India:-
- Alluvial soils
- Black (or Regur soil)
- Red and Yellow soils
- Laterite soils
- Arid and desert soils
- Saline and alkaline soils
- Peaty and marshy soils
- Forest and mountain soils
Alluvial soils:-
These soils are formed by the sediments brought down by the rivers. They are also rich in chemical ingredients. The rivers deposit very fine particles of soil called alluvium in their plains during their long course of journey. Alluvial soil is also known as riverine soil because it is mainly found in the river basin.Alluvial soils are very fertile.They contains potash,phosphoric acid and lime which are ideal for the growth of sugarcane,paddy,wheat and other cereal and pulse crops.Soils in the drier areas are more alkaline and can be productive after proper treatment and irrigation. The widest occurrence of the alluvial soils is in the Great Indo-Gangetic Plain starting from Punjab in the west to West Bengal and Assam in the east. They also occur in deltas of the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Cauvery, where they are called deltaic alluvium. Along the coast they are known as coastal alluvium. Some alluvial soils are found in the Narmada and Tapi valleys. Northern parts of Gujarat also have some cover of alluvial soils.
Geologically, the alluvium of the Great plain of India is divided into newer or younger khadar and older bhangar soils. The khadar soils are found in the low areas of valley bottom which are flooded almost every year.
Black (or Regur soil):-
These soils are also called as regur soils. Central India and Deccan plateau mainly constitutes this type of soil. The soil is suitable for growing cottons. It is believed that the climatic conditions along with the parent rock material are the important factors for the formation of black soil. This type of soil is typically of the Deccan trap region spread over Northwest Deccan plateau and is made from lava flows. They cover the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and extend in South-East direction along Godavari and Krishna valleys. These soils contain essential clay minerals. These soils cover an extensive area of 300,000 km2. The engineering properties of such soils are as follows:
- High compressibility
- Low bearing capacity
- Low shearing strength
They are made up of clayey materials.They are well known for their capacity to hold moisture.They are rich in calcium carbonate,magnesium,potash and lime.
Red and Yellow soils:-
Red soils are formed by weathering of the ancient crystalline and metamorphic rocks. Their color is red due to their very high iron content. They are found in areas of low rainfall and is obviously less leached than laterite soils. They are sandier and less clayey soils.
Red Soil in India are poor in phosphorus, nitrogen and lime contents. The red soils covers a large portion of land in India. It is found in Indian states such as Tamil Nadu, southern Karnataka, north-eastern Andhra Pradesh and some parts of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
Laterite soils:-
Laterite soils in India are found in the Eastern Ghat of Orissa, the Southern parts of Western Ghat, Malabar Coastal plains and Ratnagiri of Maharashtra and some part of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Meghalaya, western part of West Bengal.
Laterite soils are said to farraginous aluminous rock. They are formed by decomposition; because of they are found in black soil regions having heavy rainfall. The rocks are completely leached out having a high proportion of iron and aluminium as residue. High temperature and heavy rainfall transformed the black soil into laterite.
