S.

no Classification Formation of the soil Areas Found in Crops Grown Mineral Extra Information
Type of soil constituents
1 (i) Deposited by three (i) The northern plains. This type of soil is These soils contain an According to their age alluvial soils can be
. important Himalayan River (ii) Rajasthan and ideal for the adequate proportion of classified as old alluvial (Bangar) and new
systems – the Indus, the Gujarat. growth of potash, phosphoric acid alluvial (Khadar). The bangar soil has higher
ALLUVIAL Ganga and the (iii) eastern coastal sugarcane, paddy, and lime. concentration of kanker nodules than the
Brahmaputra. plains. Specially the wheat and other Khadar. It has more fine particles and is
SOILS (ii) The alluvial soil consists deltas of the Mahanadi, cereal and pulse more fertile than the bangar.
of various proportions of Krishna and Kaveri crops.
sand, silt and clay. rivers.
2 The black soils are made up They cover the plateaus Black soil is ideal they are rich in soil These soils are generally poor in
. of extremely fine i.e., clayey of Maharashtra, for growing nutrients, such as phosphoric contents. They develop deep
material. This type of soil is Saurashtra, Malwa, cotton and is also calcium carbonate, cracks during hot weather, which helps in
BLACK typical of the northwest Madhya Pradesh and known as black magnesium, potash and the proper aeration of the soil.
SOIL Deccan plateau and is made Chhattisgarh. Along cotton soil. lime.
up of lava flows. with the Godavari and
the Krishna valleys.
3 Red soil develops on Yellow and red soils are Potato, pulses, Red soil is rich in iron These soils develop a reddish colour due to
. crystalline igneous rocks in found in Odisha, millets, and fruits oxide, but deficient in diffusion of iron in crystalline and
areas of low rainfall Chhattisgarh, southern such as mango, nitrogen and lime. metamorphic rocks. It looks yellow when it
RED & YELLOW parts of the middle orange and occurs in a hydrated form.
SOILS Ganga plain and along vegetables can be
the piedmont zone of grown under ideal
the Western Ghats. irrigation.
4 This soil is the result of Lateritic soils occur This soil is very Laterite soil is rich Lateritic soils are mostly deep to very deep,
. intense leaching due to mostly in southern useful for growing in aluminium and iron, acidic (pH<6.0). Where these soils support
heavy rain. states, Western Ghats tea and coffee. formed in wet and hot deciduous and evergreen forests, it is
LATERITE region of Maharashtra, Red laterite soils tropical areas. Almost humus rich, but under sparse vegetation
SOIL Odisha, some parts of in Tamil Nadu, all laterites are rusty and in semi-arid environment, it is
West Bengal and North- Andhra Pradesh red due to the presence generally humus poor. They are prone to
east regions. and Kerala are of iron oxides. erosion and degradation due to their
more suitable for position on the landscape.
crops like cashew
nut.
5 Arid soils are formed from In India, the arid soil is You can grow any The lower horizons of Arid soils range from red to brown in
. the fragmentation of mainly found in parts drought and the soil are occupied by colour. They are generally sandy in texture
adjacent rocks and are of Western Rajasthan, saline-tolerant Kankar because of the and saline in nature. In some areas the salt
ARID largely blown from Indus Haryana, and Punjab crops such increasing calcium content is very high and common salt is
SOILS valley area and coastal and extends up to the as wheat, cotton, content downwards. obtained by evaporating the water
 regions.
6 These soils are found in the
. hilly and mountainous areas
where sufficient rain forests
FOREST are available. They are
SOILS loamy and silty in valley
sides and coarse grained
Rann of Kutch in corn (maize),
Gujarat. millets, pulses,
and barley.
Found in the hilly and These soils are Forest soils are In the snow-covered areas of Himalayas,
mountainous areas good for generally very acidic these soils experience denudation and are
where sufficient rain cultivating tea, and organic, with acidic with low humus content. The soils
forests are available. spices, wheat, limited chemical found in the lower parts of the valleys
maize, barley, fertility.  particularly on the river terraces and
coffee, tropical alluvial fans are fertile.
and temperate
fruits.