SOILS AS A RESOURCE

Formation of soil depends upon :

Climate
Relief
Nature
Parent Rock
Time
Temperature
Action of running wind, water and glacier
Decomposers

CLASSIFICATION OF SOIL

Classified on the basis of :

Colour
Thickness
Age
Chemical and Physical properties

Types :

1.Arid /Desert/Sandy soil

Found in Areas – Western Rajasthan & parts of Gujarat.

Minerals found – Salt

Crops grown – Jawar, Bajra & groundnut.

Properties – Sandy in nature,saline in character.

Soil lacks humus & moisture.

Kankar restrict infiltration of water.

2.Mountain/ Forest soil

Found in areas – Lower parts of valleys & mountain slopes.

Minerals found – Limestone, Dolomite glass.

Crops grown – Tea & Coffee.

Properties – Acidic, low humus content, silty in valley slides, coares in upper slopes.

3.Alluvial soil

Found in areas – Eastern coastal planes in the dealta of Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari, Kaveri. Extends to Rajasthan & Gujrat.

Mainly found in northern plains.

Minerals found – Potash, Phosphoric, acid & lime.

Crops grown – Sugarcane, paddy, wheat, cereal & pulses.

Properties –

1. Proportionate share of sand,silt & clay.

2. Classified as Khadar & Bangar.

4.Black soil/ Regur soil

Found in areas – Deccan plateau of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh & Chattisgarh.

Minerals found – Calcium carbonate, Magnesium, Potash, Lime.

Crops grown – Cotton & groundnut.

Properties –

1. Made up of lava & clay material.

2. Hold moisture

3. Black colour

4. Sticky when wet

5. Red & yellow soil

Found in areas – Eastern & Southern part of Deccan plateau & Odisha, Chattisgarh, southern parts of middle Ganga plains.

Minerals Found – Iron & Pottasium.

Crops grown – Cotton, groundnut, maize & sorghum.

Properties – Reddish colour due to diffusion of iron in crystalline & metamorphic rocks. Yellow when it occurs in a hydratic form.

6. Laterite soil

Found in areas – Karnataka, Kerela, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, hilly areas of Odisha & Assam.

Minerals found – Iron, Bauxite, aluminium oxide.

Crops grown – Tea , coffee, cashew nut & spices.

Properties – Areas of intense leaching of high temperature & heavy rainfall, low humus content, requires fertilizers & manure for cultivation.

– Anjali Singh