SOILS of India Class XB
SOILS of India Class XB
SOILS of India Class XB
Grade X B
Alluvial Soil by Shaurya, Aaryan, Chhavi, Ayaan, Jiya
Characteristics
These have been deposited by three important Himalayan river systems– the Indus, the Ganga and the
Brahmaputra.
The alluvial soil consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay.
Soil particles are coarse and bigger in size in the upper reaches of the river valley i.e near the place of
the break of slope.
Such soils are more common in piedmont plains such as duars, chos and terai.
Alluvial Soil
Alluvial soils as a whole are very fertile.
Ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat and other cereal and pulse crops.
Due to its high fertility, regions of alluvial soils are intensively cultivated and densely
populated.
Soils in the drier areas are more alkaline and can be productive after proper treatment and
irrigation.
Classification of Alluvial Soil on the basis of age
Gujarat
and Kaveri
Laterite soil
Laterite has been derived from the Latin word ‘later’ which means brick.
The laterite soil develops under tropical and subtropical climate with alternate wet
and dry season.
Leaching is the removal of soluble materials from one zone in soil to another via
water movement in the profile. Laterite soil, which develops in regions with high
temperature and heavy rainfall, is an example of this process in action.
Laterite Soil
Lateritic soils are acidic (pH<6.0).
Humus content is low and deficient in plant nutrients except in deciduous and evergreen forest.
Occur mostly in southern states, Western Ghats region of Maharashtra, Odisha, some parts of
West Bengal and North-east regions.
They are prone to erosion and degradation due to their position on the landscape.
After adopting appropriate soil conservation techniques particularly in the hilly areas of Karnataka,
Kerala and Tamil Nadu, this soil is very useful for growing tea and coffee.
Red laterite soils in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are more suitable for crops like
cashew nut.
Black Soil by Ananya, Uttara, Armaan, Aarushi, Hitakshi
CHARACTERISTICS:
➔ Black in colour
➔ Known as regur soils
➔ Used for growing cotton - also known as black cotton soil
➔ It is fine textured and clayey in nature
➔ Capacity to hold moisture
FORMATION:
➔ Climatic condition and parent rock material are the factors for formation
➔ It is black in colour since it is formed from weathered lava rocks.
NUTRIENTS FOUND:
OTHER FEATURES:
➔ They develop deep cracks during hot weather, which
helps in the proper aeration of the soil.
➔ These soils are sticky when wet and difficult to work
on unless tilled immediately after the first shower or
during the pre-monsoon period.
Red and Yellow Soil
❏ Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall
❏ Covers the eastern and southern part of the Deccan Plateau, parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh,
southern parts of the middle Ganga plain and along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats
❏ The soil develops a reddish colour due to a wide diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic
rocks.
The salt content is very high and common salt is obtained by evaporating the
water.
Because of the increasing calcium content downwards, the lower part is occupied by
kankar.
Due to the dry climate, high temperature, evaporation is faster and the soil lacks
humus and moisture.
Arid Soil
Distribution- Western Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab and extends up to the Rann of
Kutch in Gujarat.
Mountain and Forest Soil
Distribution- These soils are found in the hilly and mountainous region where sufficient
rain forests are available.
They are loamy and silty in valley sides,coarse grained in upper slopes.
In the snowy areas of the Himalayas, they experience denudation (weathering away of
the surface because of ice, water, wind etc.), and are acidic with a lower humus
content.
1. Ploughing along the contour lines (joins points of equal elevation) can slow down
the flow of water down the slopes.
2. Terrace Cultivation: This is another method to restrict erosion. Steps can be cut
out of the soil itself to make terraces→
3. Western and central Himalayas have particularly well developed and establishes
terrace farms. This is in part due to the high altitude and uneven terrain in the
mountains which are quite sloped.
Soil Conservation
4.Strip Cropping: Strips of grass are left to grow between the crops which break up the
force of the wind.
5.Wind speed can be reduced by planting lines of trees. Such rows are called shelter
belts. This method helps in stabilising sand dunes in deserts.
Identify the soil types.
Identify the soil types.
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