Soils of India
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has divided
Indian soils into eight major groups.
Alluvial soil :-----
·
Punjub, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar , Jharkhand.
·
Rich in potash and lime, but deficient in
nitrogen and phosphoric acid.
·
Large variety of Rabi and kharif crops such as
wheet,rice,sugarcane,cotton and jute etc.
Black soil (or Regur soll) :-----
- Deccan
Plateau, valleys of Krishna and
- Rich in iron, lime, aluminium, magnesium, calcium, but lacks in nitrogen, phosphorus and humus.
- Cotton, sugarcane,jowar,tobacco,wheat,rice.
Red soil :------
- Eastern
parts of Deccan Plateau.Tamil nadu,
- Rich in iron potash, but deficient in lime, nitrogen phosphorus and humus.
- Wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane and pulses.
Laterite soil :-----
- Summits
of Eastern and western Ghats,
- Rich in iron but poor in silica, lime, Phosphorus, Potash and humus.
- Tea, coffee, rubber, cashew and millets.
Desert soil :-----
- West
and North-West
- Rich in soluble salts, but deficient in organic matter.
- Generally unsuitable for cultivation, but with irrigation useful for cultivation of drought-resistant lime, millets, barley, cotton, maize and pulses.
Mountain soil :-----
- Hills
of
- Rich in iron and humus, but deficient in lime.
- With fertilizers ,tea, fruits, and medicinal plants can be grown.
Saline and Alkaline soil :-----
- Drier
parts of Bihar ,jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana,Punjab,Rajasthan and
- Many salts such as sodium, magnesium and calcium.
- Unfit for agriculture.
Peaty and Marshy soil :------
- Kerela, coastal regions of Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Suderbans of West Bengal.
- Contain large amount of soluble saits and organic matter, but lack in Potash and phosphates.
- Useful for rice and jute cultivation.