TYPES OF SOILS IN INDIA

DEFINITION OF SOIL
Soil can be simply defined as a mixture of small rock particles/debris and organic
materials/ humus which develop on the earth surface and support growth of plants.

Factors that influence soil formation–

• Parent Material
• Relief/Topography
• Climate
• Natural Vegetation & Biological factors
• Time

ANCIENT SOIL CLASSIFICATION – URVARA VS

USARA
• In India, soil had been classified from the ancient period itself even though it was not as
detail as the modern classifications.
• In the ancient period, the classification was based on only two things; whether the soil
is fertile or sterile. Thus the classification were:

URVARA [FERTILE]
USARA [STERILE]
CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIAN SOILS

• Most soils are old and mature. Soils of the peninsular plateau are much older than the soils of
the great northern plain.
• Indian soils are largely deficient in nitrogen, mineral salts, humus and other organic materials.
• Plains and valleys have thick layers of soils while hilly and plateau areas depict thin soil cover.
• Some soils like alluvial and black soils are fertile while some other soils such as laterite, desert
and alkaline soils lack in fertility and do not yield good harvest.
• Indian soils have been used for cultivation for hundreds of years and have lost much of their
fertility.

PROBLEMS OF INDIAN SOILS

• Soil erosion (Himalayan region, Chambal Ravines, etc.),

• deficiency in fertility (Red, lateritic, and other soils),
• desertification (around Thar desert, rain-shadow regions like parts of Karnataka, Telangana, etc.),
waterlogging (Punjab-Haryana plain) salinity,
• alkalinity (excessively irrigated regions of Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, etc.),
• wasteland,
• overexploitation of soils due to increase in population and rise in living standards and
encroachment of agricultural land due to urban and transport development.
SOIL CLASSIFICATION –
AGENCIES INVOLVED

• In the modern period, when

men started to know about the
various characteristics of soil
they began to classify soil on the
basis of texture, colour, moisture
etc.

• When the Soil survey of

India was established
in 1956, they studied soils of
India and their characteristics.

• The National Bureau of Soil

Survey and the Land Use
Planning, an institute under the
control of Indian Council of
Agriculture Research did a lot of
studies on Indian soil.
SOIL TYPES IN INDIA

In India, the Indian Council of Agricultural

Research (ICAR) has classified soils into 8
categories.

1. Alluvial Soil
2. Black Cotton Soil
3. Red Soil
4. Laterite Soil
5. Mountainous or Forest Soils
6. Arid or Desert Soil
7. Saline and Alkaline Soil
8. Peaty, and Marshy Soil/Bog Soil
ALLUVIAL SOIL:

• Mostly available soil in India (about 43%)

which covers an area of 143 sq.km.
• Widespread in northern plains and river
valleys.

• In peninsular-India, they are mostly found

in deltas and estuaries.
• Humus, lime and organic matters are
present.

Highly fertile

• They are depositional soil – transported

and deposited by rivers, streams etc.
• Sand content decreases from west to east
of the country.
• Geologically, the alluvium of the Great
plain of India is divided into newer or
younger khadar and older bhangar soils.

Colour: Light Grey to Ash Grey.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ALLUVIAL SOILS
• They are immature and have weak profiles due to their recent origin.
• Most of the soil is sandy and clayey soils are not uncommon.
• They vary from loamy to sandy-loam in drier regions and clayey loam towards the
delta.
• Pebbly and gravelly soils are rare. Kankar (calcareous concretions) beds are present in
some regions along the river terraces.
• The soil is porous because of its loamy (equal proportion of sand and clay) nature.
• Porosity and texture provide good drainage and other conditions favorable for
agriculture.
• These soils are constantly replenished by the recurrent floods.

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF ALLUVIAL SOILS

• The proportion of nitrogen is generally low.
• The proportion of Potash, phosphoric acid, and alkalies are adequate
• The proportion of Iron oxide and lime vary within a wide range.
DISTRIBUTION OF ALLUVIAL SOILS IN INDIA
• They occur all along the Indo-Gangetic-Brahmaputra
plains except in few places where the top layer is
covered by desert sand.
• They also occur in deltas of the Mahanadi, the Godavari,
the Krishna, and the Cauvery, where they are called
deltaic alluvium (coastal alluvium)
• Some alluvial soils are found in the Narmada, Tapi valleys,
and Northern parts of Gujarat

CROPS IN ALLUVIAL SOILS

• They are mostly flat and regular soils and are best suited
for agriculture.
• They yield splendid crops of rice, wheat, sugarcane,
tobacco, cotton, jute, maize, oilseeds, vegetables, and
fruits.

Alluvial regions with rainfall

1. Above 100cm – Suitable for paddy
2. B/w 50-100cm – Suitable for wheat, sugarcane, tobacco,
and cotton
3. Below 50cm– Course grains (millets)
BLACK SOIL / REGUR SOIL:

Reglur means cotton – best soil for

cotton cultivation.

Most of the Deccan is occupied by Black

soil.

Mature soil.

High water retaining capacity.

Swells and will become sticky when wet
and shrink when dried.

Self-ploughing is a characteristic of the

black soil as it develops wide cracks
when dried.

Rich in: Iron, lime, calcium, potassium,

aluminum and magnesium.

Deficient in: Nitrogen, Phosphorous

and organic matter.

Colour: Deep black to light black.

Texture: Clayey.
CHARACTERISTICS OF BLACK SOILS
• A typical black soil is highly argillaceous [Geology (of rocks or sediment) consisting of or containing
clay] with a large clay factor, 62 percent or more.
• In general, black soils of uplands are of low fertility while those in the valleys are very fertile.
• The black soil is highly retentive of moisture. It swells greatly on accumulating moisture. Strenuous
effort is required to work on such soil in rainy season as it gets very sticky.
• In summer, the moisture evaporates the soil shrinks and is seamed with broad and deep cracks. The
lower layers can still retain moisture. The cracks permits oxygenation of the soil to sufficient depths
and the soil has extraordinary fertility.
• When dry, it develops cracks and has blocky structure. (Self Ploughing Capacity)

DISTRIBUTION OF BLACK SOILS

• It is found in the Deccan lava plateau region of India.
• Spread over 46 lakh sq km (16.6 percent of the total area) across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,
parts of Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu.

CROPS IN BLACK SOILS

• These soils are best suited for cotton crops. Hence these soils are called as regur and black cotton
soils.
• Other major crops grown on the black soils include wheat, jowar, linseed, virginia tobacco, castor,
sunflower, and millets.
• Rice and sugarcane are equally important where irrigation facilities are available.
• Large varieties of vegetables and fruits are also successfully grown on the black soils.
• This soil has been used for growing a variety of crops for centuries without adding fertilizers and
manures, with little or no evidence of exhaustion.
RED SOIL:
• Seen mainly in low rainfall area.
• Also known as Omnibus group.
• Porous, friable structure.
• Absence of lime, kankar (impure calcium
carbonate).

• Deficient in: lime, phosphate, manganese,

nitrogen, humus and potash.

• Colour: Red because of Ferric oxide. The

lower layer is reddish yellow or yellow.

• Texture: Sandy to clay and loamy.

• Wheat, cotton, pulses, tobacco, oilseeds,
potato etc are cultivated.
CHARACTERISTICS OF RED SOILS
• Rainfall is highly variable. Thus, the soil has developed 3 subtypes
• Red & Yellow soil – rainfall is 200cm – NE India – Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur Hills, parts of
Malabar coast, quick drainage is needed
• Red Sandy Soil – Drier plateaus like Karnataka, TN, Telangana, Rayalseema – rainfall from 40-
60cm
• RedAlluvial Soil – Along river valleys – has good fertility
• Well drained soil and structure is sandy
• Rich in iron and potash but deficient in other minerals.

SIGNIFICANCE
• Once irrigated and added with humus, it gives a high yield because the mineral base is rich.
• It supports rice, sugarcane, cotton cultivation
• Millets and pulses are grown in drier areas
• Kaveri and Vaigai basins are famous for red alluvium and if irrigated well, are suitable for paddy
• Large regions of Karnataka and Kerala have developed Red soil regions for rubber and coffee
plantation farming.
LATERITE SOIL:

• Name from Latin word ‘Later’ which means Brick.

• become so soft when wet and so hard when dried.
• In the areas of high temperature and high rainfall.
• Formed as a result of high leaching.
• Lime and silica will be leached away from the soil.
• Organic matters of the soil will be removed fast by the
bacteria as it is high temperature and humus will be
taken quickly by the trees and other plants. Thus,
humus content is low.

Rich in: Iron and Aluminum

Deficient in: Nitrogen, Potash, Potassium, Lime, Humus

Colour: Red colour due to iron oxide.

Rice, Ragi, Sugarcane and Cashew nuts are cultivated
mainly.
CHARACTERISTICS
• Brown in colour
• composed essentially of a mixture of hydrated oxides of aluminum and iron.
• Iron oxides are found in nodules form
• Its rich in iron and aluminum but poor in Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potash, Lime, and Magnesia
• Its humus and water-retaining capacities are moderate
• Bacterial activities have been very high and heavy precipitation develops leaching of humus as a
result humus content is moderate to low.
DISTRIBUTION
Regions of laterite soil in the country are :
• It is found in patches in Western Ghats ( Goa and Maharashtra).
• In Belgam district of Karnataka and in laterite plateau of Kerala
• In the state of Orissa, in the Eastern Ghats,
• Amarkantak plateau region of MP-
• Panchmahal district of Gujarat;
• Santhal Pangana divisions of Jharkhand
SIGNIFICANCE
• It is famous for crops like groundnut, cashew nut, etc.
• Laterite soil of Karnataka is given to coffee, rubber, and spices farming.
DESERT / ARID SOIL:

Seen under Arid and Semi-Arid

conditions.
Deposited mainly by wind activities.

High salt content.

Lack of moisture and Humus.

Kankar or Impure Calcium carbonate

content is high which restricts the
infiltration of water.
Nitrogen is insufficient and Phosphate is
normal.

Texture: Sandy
Colour: Red to Brown.

DISTRIBUTION –
western Rajasthan, Rann of Kachchh, in
patches in south Haryana and south
Punjab.
PEATY / MARSHY SOIL:
• This soil originates from the areas where adequate drainage is not possible. It is rich in
organic matter and has high salinity. They are deficient in potash and phosphate.
• Characteristics – Dominance of clay and mud which make it heavy
• Rich in moisture content but at the same time, greater content of salt and every
day inundation by high tide has made it infertile soil
• No organic activity due to excessive moisture content
• Distribution – It is characteristic of the delta region of India
• Besides the delta region, it is also found in
• Alleppey(Kerala) (known as Karri along the backwaters or Kayals of Kerala)
• Almora (Uttaranchal)
• Significance – Over Bengal delta, it is suitable for jute and rice, and over Malabar, it is
suitable for spices, rubber, big sized rice
• It has to some extent been favorable to the Mangrove forests of India.
FOREST SOIL/ MOUNTAIN SOIL

• Characteristics
• It is thin layered and the profiles and horizons are poorly developed
• Due to fast drainage, it has been vulnerable to soil erosion
• It is rich in organic content – humus content is also adequate but other nutrients aredeficient
• It is a loamy soil when sand, silt, and clay are in mixed form
DISTRIBUTION
• These are generally found over 900m altitude
• Himalayas, Himalayan foothills, mountain slopes of Western Ghats, Nilgiri, Annamalai, and
Cardamom hills
• Significance – It is very helpful to those crops which need favourable air and water drainage which
is provided by this soil by virtue of being on slopes
• Generally used for rubber plantation, bamboo plantation and also tea, coffee, and fruits farming
• Large area also given to shifting agriculture where the soil fertility deteriorates after 2-3 years
• Due to less scope of agriculture, silvi pastoral farming (forest+grasses) can be sustained.