Notes on soil resource

Alluvial soil: -
Formation: - alluvial soil is formed by the deposition of alluvium brought by rivers (Indus, Ganga &
Brahmaputra)
Areas: - it is mainly found in northern plains extending from Punjab to Assam, parts of Rajasthan &
Gujarat and eastern coastal plains or deltas formed by Mahanadi, Godavari, and Krishna & Kaveri Rivers.
Major crops grown: - Paddy, wheat, sugarcane, pulses and other cereal crops Jute in delta areas
Main features: - It is the most widespread soils of India. Overall it is the most fertile soil. The soil contain
adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid and lime but is deficient in humus. It consists of various
proportion of sand, silt and clay. Due its high fertility alluvial soils are intensively cultivated and densely
populated. On the basis of age the soil is classified as Khadar (new alluvium) and bangar (older
alluvium).
Black soil: -
Formation: - it is formed due to the weathering of basalt rocks. Climatic conditions and parent rocks are
important factors.
Areas: - it is mainly found in Deccan trap region covering the parts of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa
region, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and parts of Karnataka, Goa and Tamil Nadu.
Major crops grown: - cotton and sugarcane are the main crops
Main features: - It is also known as regur soil. It is made of extremely clayey material. They are well
known for the capacity to hold moisture. The soil is rich in calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash and
lime but lacks in phosphoric content. Soil develop deep cracks during hot & dry weather which help in
proper aeration and become sticky when wet in the rainy season.
Laterite soil: -
Formation: - it is formed due to intense leaching in the areas of high temperature and heavy rainfall.
Areas: - it is mainly found in Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, hilly areas of Odisha & Assam and
Tamil Nadu.
Major crops grown: - tea, coffee, cashew nut and some spices
Main features: - The soil is rich in iron and phosphoric content. It is deficient in potash and lime due to
leaching. The soil is deficient in humus content because most of the micro-organisms especially
decomposers get destroyed due to high temperature. It is less fertile soil and used for cultivation with
adequate doses of manures and fertilizers.
Arid soil: -
Formation: - it is formed due to weathering of rocks in the areas of high variation in temperature.
Areas: - it is mainly found in western part of Rajasthan, parts of northern Gujarat, and adjoining region of
Haryana and Punjab.
Major crops grown: - Bajra, groundnut, some form of pulses.
Main features: - Arid soil range in from red to brown in colour. They are generally sandy in texture and
saline in nature. In some areas salt content is very high. Due to high temperature the humus and moisture
content in the soil is very low. After proper irrigation soil can be made suitable for cultivation.
Red Soil
Formation: - Red soil is formed due to weathering of crystalline igneous rocks in the areas of low rainfall.
Areas: - it is mainly found in southern and eastern part of Deccan region, parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh,
southern part of middle Ganga plain and piedmont zone of the Western Ghats and North-Eastern states.
Major crops grown: - Tobacco, soya beans, millets.
Main features: - This soil develops reddish colour due to diffusion of iron in crystalline metamorphic
rocks. It looks yellow in colour when it occurs in hydrated form. The soil lacks in nitrogenous, organic
and phosphoric content. It is less fertile and can be used for farming after higher doses of fertiliser and
manures.
Mountain /Forests soil
Formation: - Mountain soil is formed due to weathering of rocks by frost- action as well as plants and
animals.
Areas: - it is mainly found in hilly and mountainous region where sufficient rain is available. States
are J& K, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh
Major crops grown: - Tea, Coffee and fruits and timber trees.
Main features: - The soil is rich in organic matter or humus. The texture of soil varies according to
mountain environment where they are found. They are loamy and silty in valley sides and coarse
grained in upper slopes. In the snow-covered areas the soil is acidic with low humus content. In the
lower parts of valley and river terraces, the soil is fertile.
What is soil erosion?
Soil erosion is described as the removal of or blowing away of top fertile layer of soil by different agents
of erosion.
Main agents of erosion are – wind, running water, floods, sea waves and heavy rainfall.
There are two types of erosion: -
Sheet erosion- removal of complete top layer of soil in the form of sheet is known as sheet erosion.
Gully erosion: - removal of soil in the form of narrow channels, called gullies by running water.
Causes of soil erosion and soil degradation
Following are the main causes of soil erosion and degradation.
1. Deforestation
2. Mining activities
3. Overgrazing by cattle
4. Use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides
5. Throwing of untreated solid and liquid wastes
6. Improper methods of farming in hilly areas
Conservation of soil
Following measures can be taken to conserve soil in the different areas:
 Terrace farming: - it is the most common method of soil conservation in hilly & mountain
region. In this method hill slopes are converted into series of steps which do not allow water and
soil to flow swiftly down the slope and reduces soil erosion.
 Contour ploughing: - it is ploughing of hill slopes parallel to contours and across the slope. in
this methods hill slopes are ploughed across the slope to create barrier against flowing water. This
method is also very effective in the hilly areas where rainfall is heavy
 Construction of shelter belts: - it is growing of trees in a line to check/break the force of wind. It
is an effective method in desert and coastal areas where wind is an important agent. It has been
very successful in stabilisation of sand dunes in the deserts.
 Strip cropping: - it is referred as growing of strips of grasses and crops in alternate layers. This
also reduces the force of water and help in soil conservation.
 Plugging of gullies: - gullies are major channels which accelerates the removal of soil on the
slopes. These gullies can be plugged/ filled with a layer of grass or stone or mud to stop the
flowing of soil and water along the slope.