soil- a natural resource

a natural resource

SOIL

Index

what is soil

introduction

soil

soil types in india

Introduction

Soil is the topmost layer of the continental crust having weathered particles of rocks. The soils of India are the product of physical factors as well as human factors .Soil can be simply defined as a mixture of small rock particles/debris and organic materials/ humus which develop on the earth’s surface and support the growth of plants.

SOIL TYPES IN INDIA

Soil types are of 8 different categorieS IN INDIA-

1. Alluvial Soil 2. Red Soil 3. Black Cotton Soil 4. Laterite Soil 5. Desert / arid Soil 6. Peaty / marshy Soil 7. Forest Soil 8. Mountain Soil

soil types-

Alluvial soil:

• Mostly available soil in India (about 43%) which covers an area of 143sq.km• Widespread in northern plains and river valleys. • In peninsular-India, they are mostly found in deltas and estuaries. • Humus, lime and organic matters are present. • Highly fertile. • Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputhra plain, Narmada-Tapi plain etc are examples. • They are depositional soil – transported and deposited by rivers, streams etc. • 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.• Wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane, pulses, oilseed etc are cultivated mainly.

alluvail soil in Gujarat

soil types -

Red soil:

• Found in Tamil Nadu, parts of Karnataka and Maharastra, eastern Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, parts of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, eastern Rajasthan, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya. • 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 etc are cultivated.

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red soil

soil types -

black cotton soil:

• Regur means cotton – best soil for cotton cultivation. • Most of the Deccan is occupied by Black soil. • Mature soil. • High water retaining capacity. • Swells and will become sticky when wet and shrink when dried. • Self-ploughing is a characteristic of the black soil as it 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.

black cotton soil picture

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soil types-

Laterite soil:

• Name from Latin word ‘Later’ which means Brick.• Become so soft when wet and so hard when dried.• In the areas of high temperature and high rainfall.• Formed as a result of high leaching.• Lime and silica will be leached away from the soil.• Organic matters of the soil will be removed fast by the bacteria as it is high temperature and humus will be taken quickly by the trees and other plants. Thus, humus content is low.Mainly found in Karnataka, Kerela, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and the hilly areas of Orissa and Assam. • 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 are cultivated mainly.

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Laterite soil

soil types-

Desert / arid soil:

• Seen under Arid and Semi-Arid conditions, parts of Rajasthan mainly.
• Deposited mainly by wind activities.
• High salt content.
• Lack of moisture and Humus.
• Kankar or Impure Calcium carbonate content is high which restricts the infiltration of water.
• Nitrogen is insufficient and Phosphate is normal.
• Texture: Sandy
• Colour: Red to Brown.

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Desert / arid soil picture

soil types-

Peaty / marshy soil:

• Areas of heavy rainfall and high humidity.
• mainly found in the coastal areas of West Bengal, Orissa and Tamil Nadu.
• Growth of vegetation is very less.
• A large quantity of dead organic matter/humus which makes the soil alkaline.
• Heavy soil with black colour.

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Peaty / marshy soil picture

soil types-

Mountain soil:

Forest soil:

• In the mountain regions of the country, mainly the Himalayan Regions, and also in the Peninsula.
• Immature soil with low humus and acidic.

• mainly found in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Humus content is less and thus the soil is acidic.

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Pihu Yadav 7A