India Soils Youtube Lecture Handouts

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SOILS of INDIA

8 Types of Soils in India are explained in this video –

The soils explained are:

Alluvial Soil

• About 43%

• Covers an area of 143 sq.km.

• Widespread in northern plains and river valleys.

• In peninsular-India, they are mostly found in deltas and estuaries.

• Humus, lime and organic matter

• Highly fertile

• Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputhra plain, Narmada-Tapi plain

• Depositional soil – transported and deposited by rivers, streams.

• Sand content decreases from west to east of the country.

• New alluvium is termed as Khadar and old alluvium is termed as Bhangar.

• Colour: Light Grey to Ash Grey.

• Texture: Sandy to silty loam or clay.

• Rich in: potash

• Poor in: phosphorous.

• Wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane, pulses, oilseed.

Black Soil

• Cotton cultivation.

• Deccan

• Mature soil

• High water retaining capacity.

• Swells and becomes sticky when wet

• Shrinks when dried.

• Self-ploughing- develops wide cracks when dried.

• Rich in: Iron, lime, calcium, potassium, aluminum and magnesium.

• Deficient in: Nitrogen, Phosphorous and organic matter.

• Colour: Deep black to light black.

• Texture: Clayey

Red Soil

• Low rainfall area.

• Omnibus group.

• Porous, friable structure.

• Absence of lime, kankar (impure calcium carbonate).

• Deficient in: lime, phosphate, manganese, nitrogen, humus and potash.

• Colour: Red because of Ferric oxide. The lower layer is reddish yellow or yellow.

• Texture: Sandy to clay and loamy.

• Wheat, cotton, pulses, tobacco, oilseeds, potato.

Laterite Soil

• ‘Later’ which means Brick.

• Soft when wet and hard when dried.

• High temperature and high rainfall.

• Formed from high leaching.

• Lime and silica leached away

• Organic matter removed fast by the bacteria

• Humus content is low.

• Rich in: Iron and Aluminum

• Deficient in: Nitrogen, Potash, Potassium, Lime, Humus

• Colour: Red colour due to iron oxide.

• Rice, Ragi, Sugarcane and Cashew nuts

Forest Soil

• Regions of high rainfall.

• Humus content is less and thus the soil is acidic.

Peat and Organic Soil

• Heavy rainfall and high humidity.

• Less vegetation

• Dead organic matter makes alkaline.

• Heavy soil with black colour.

Mountain and Skeletal Soil

• Mountain regions of the country

• Immature soil with low humus and acidic.

Alkaline and Saline Soil

-Manishika