Soil Types are present in India.

April 13, 2016    


Alluvial Soil:
  • Covers largest area (around 40%) in India.
  • Highly Fertile soil.
  • Rich in Organic matter and Potash but deficient in Phosphorous.
  • Colour – Light grey to Ash grey.
  • Areas where Present- Northern Plains and River Valleys, some parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan, Eastern coast deltas.
  • It contains calcareous formations known as Kankars.
  • Two different types of alluvial soils: Khadar and Bhangar.
  • Khadar is the new alluvium which is deposited by the floods annually.
  • Bhangar is the old alluvium which is present away from flood plains.


Red and Yellow Soil:
  • Covers second largest area (around 18.5%) in India.
  • Present in area of low rainfall in eastern and southern Deccan Plateau.
  • Areas where Present – Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Southern Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and some parts of U.P
  • Develops on igneous rocks.
  • Soil is Red in colour due to high content of iron in the rocks.
  • It appears in Yellow colour when hydrated.
  • Poor in nitrogen, humus and phosphorous.


Black Soil:
  • Also known as Regur or Black Cotton Soil.
  • Parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, M.P, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Also present in Godavari and Krishna deltas.
  • Rich in Iron, Alumina, magnesia and lime.
  • Poor in nitrogen and phosphorous.
  • Impermeable nature. It does not absorb water easily.
  • It swells when wet and shrinks when dried. So, a kind of Self-Ploughing occurs in this soil.
  • Colour- deep Black to Grey.


Laterite Soil:
  • Present in the areas with High Rainfall and High Temperature.
  • Areas where found – Tamilnadu, Kerela, Karnataka, M.P. Hilly areas of Odisha and Assam.
  • Rich in Iron oxide and aluminium compounds.
  • Poor in Organic matter.
  • Suitable for crops like Cashew nut.
  • Leaching of Lima and Silica occurs due to high rainfall.


Arid Soil:
  • Characteristic soil of Western Rajasthan.
  • Color – Red to Brown.
  • Sandy in structure and Saline in nature.
  • Kankar layer is present which prevents infiltration of water.
  • Found in Dry areas.
  • Lack moisture and Humus.


Saline Soils:
  • Generally found in Arid, semi-Arid or waterlogged and Swampy areas.
  • Contains large proportion of Sodium, Magnesium and potassium. Hence It is infertile.
  • Found in western Gujarat, deltas of eastern coast, and in Sunderbans areas of West Bengal.
  • Excessive Irrigation also causes Soil to become Saline.
  • Gypsum is added to solve the problem of salinity.


Peaty Soils:
  • Found in High Rainfall and High Humidity.
  • Rich in Organic Matter. 
  • About 40 to 50% is the organic matter.
  • Peaty soils are heavy in nature and black in color.
  • Found in coastal parts of Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal, Norther parts of Bihar and southern Uttaranchal.


Forest Soils:
  • Found in forests and snow-bound areas of Himalayas.
  • In lower valleys, it is fertile.
  • In Himalayas, they are acidic and have low Organic matter.



Soil Types are present in India. 4.5 5 Yateendra sahu April 13, 2016 Alluvial Soil: Covers largest area (around 40%) in India. Highly Fertile soil. Rich in Organic matter and Potash but deficient in Ph...


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