1. Geography project
Soils of INDIA

2. Introduction
• Soil is the most important aspect for our life. The economy
based sectors include soil in India.
• India is a land of vast dimensions with different conditions
of geology, relief, climate and vegetation. Here, you can
get different types of soil cultivation. Therefore, India has a
large diversity of soil groups which include different types
of soil.
• All the Soils are markedly different from each other.
Various criteria have been applied to classify Indian soils
like Geology, relief, fertility, chemical composition and
physical composition and so on. Soil formation is so good
in a particular climate that each climate type has its own
soil.

3. • Awareness about types of soil can make your farming easy
and productive.
• Every farmer should be aware of the soil’s types for the
best extension of crops. There are many types of soil in
India, but some farmers are unknown about it.
• They know about the soils, but unfortunately, they do not
know which soil is suitable for agriculture and crops. So,
this is our responsibility to provide you with accurate
knowledge regarding farming.
• So, be with us to the end in this blog and get all essential
information about types of soil and their uses for different
crops.

4. • Soil is a very important material or we can say that it is
the foundation of agriculture.
• It is the loose surface that covers most agricultural land.
This material is a mixture of inorganic particles and
organic matter.
• Soil provides structural support to plants used in farming.
The soil is the mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases,
liquids, and organisms that together support life.
• Soils have different chemical and physical properties.
Each soil type has specific strengths and weaknesses for
agricultural production.
• To differentiate soils is of great help from their physical
properties. Physical properties mean what we can see and
touch like texture, colour, depth, structure, porosity (the
space between the particles) and stone content.

5. Importance of soil in
agriculture
• Agriculture is a very important sector for a
country’s economy and our society. Similarly,
farmers produced foods and fiber which we used
every day.
• So, for the betterment of agriculture, many factors
are available, and soil is one of them.
• Soil is an essential part of successful farming and
the original source of nutrients used in crop
growing.
• The nutrients transfer from the soil into plants
which make food healthier.

6. • Healthy soil produces the most nutritious and most
abundant food supply.
• As the healthiest soils produce most food, they have
also been at the centre of the best communities in
history.
• The ancient Egyptians had fresh nutrients brought
to their fields by the floods of the Nile every year.
• It allows farmers to use the same soil for a very
long time.
• Some other ancient civilizations had soils that were
nutrient deficient or did not contain much water.

7. Soil Management In
Agriculture
• For productive farming, soil plays a very
important role. So it becomes very important that
the quality of the soil remains for a long time. For
this, the management of soil is an essential step for
farmers. Farmers have to take good care of the soil
and ensure the surrounding environment. Soil
management include:-

8. • monitoring of nutrient levels in the soil,
• using precision agriculture methods to apply water
and nutrients only where both are needed,
• using precision agriculture to grow more crops on the
good soil and allow more rest for the poor soil,
• rotating crops improve diversity,
• when the soil is too wet, do not drive in fields,
• not disturbing the soil too much (disturbance makes
erosion easier and increases the rate at which
microorganisms lose their food supply),
• keeping the surface covered to reduce erosion, and
• monitoring watering so that salts do not accumulate.

9. Different types of soils in
India
1. Alluvial Soil-
The first soil on the list is Alluvial Soil. The soil
is the most popular type, which is widely
available in India. Alluvial Soils are the soil
stored by surface water. Thus, they found
regularly along floodplains, deltas and rivers. The
alluvial soil composition of Coastal districts
known as Riverine. Further, it eliminates
supplements and different residues from the
streaming water accordingly and develops the
water quality for downstream regions.

10. • Characteristics – Alluvial soil is a mixture of sandy
loam soil and clay soil. It is quick drainage in
nature. This type of soil is rich in organic matter
and phosphoric acid. Also, it is weak in potash and
nitrogen.
• Regions or States – This type of soil is available in
delta areas of North India. It covers over 35% of
total Indian land.
• Best Soil For Growing Crops – It is perfect for
cotton, wheat, sorghum, Bajra, maize, barley, jute,
tobacco, green and black gram, chickpea, pigeon
pea, soybean, sesame, groundnut, linseed and any
oilseed, fruit, and vegetable.

11. 2. Black Soil
• The next soil on the list is Black Soil. It is also
known as Cotton or Regur Soil. Black soils are
mineral soils which have a dark surface, enhanced
with natural carbon that is 25 cm deep. Two
classifications of Black soils (first and second
classes) are there. Check essential information
about black soil in the section below.

12. • Characteristics – Black soil is created when lava
rocks weather away. It is a nutrient with
magnesium, iron, aluminum, and lime. This type of
soil is poor in nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic
matter. Usually, this type of soil gets its black
colour from humus or various salts during soil
formation. This type of soil gets sticky when
thoroughly wet and develops cracks in the dry
season. It moist excellently and contains a
significant quantity of clay, but it becomes sandy
in the country’s hills.

13. • Regions or States – It is available in Gujarat,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. Black soil majorly
found in the river valley of rivers Narmada,
Godavari, Tapi, and Krishna.
• Best Soil For Growing Crops – In this soil, the
cotton crop widely grown, and that’s why it known
as black cotton soil. Along with this, heat, cereals,
rice, Jowar, sugarcane, linseed, sunflower,
groundnut, tobacco, millets, citrus fruits, oilseed
crops of all kinds, and vegetables grown in this
soil.

14. 3. Red & Yellow Soil
• The other one on the list of soil types is Red and
Yellow Soil. This soil type considered the best soil
for agriculture. Red soil is a sort of soil created in
a warm, moist, temperate environment with a slight
natural layer. The parent material is stone, and the
shading is red because of iron oxide, which
happens as haematite. When it occurs in a
hydrated structure, it becomes limonite yellow in
the shade. Check out more information about red
yellow soil.

15. • Characteristics – This soil type has iron oxide;
that’s why it is red. It is formed while
metamorphic rocks weather away. Red & yellow
soil is loaded with potash and low in nitrogen,
magnesium, lime, phosphorus, and organic
matter. This soil is sandy in texture.
• Region or States – It is widely found in the
Deccan plateau, Western Ghat, Orissa, and
Chhattisgarh.
• Best Soil For Growing Crops – Groundnut,
potato, maize/corn, rice, ragi, wheat, millets,
pulses, sugarcane, oilseeds, and fruits like citrus,

16. 4. Laterite Soil
• And the next Laterite Soil which is superb soil in
all types of soil in India. The following soil on the
list is Laterite Soil. Laterite soil layer loaded in
iron oxide and gotten from a wide assortment of
rocks enduring under unequivocally oxidizing and
filtering conditions. It structures in tropical and
subtropical locales where the environment is
moist. Lookout complete information about
Laterite Soil in the below section.

17. • Characteristics – It is acidic soil and rich in
iron. This kind of soil is used to make bricks
because of its high iron content. It is low in organic
matter, calcium, nitrogen, and phosphate.
• Regions or States – Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,
Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, and Assam.
• Best Soil For Growing Crops – Cotton, wheat,
rice, pulses, rubber, tea, coffee, coconut, and
cashews are major crops grown in laterite soil.

18. 5. Arid Soil
• The next one on the list of major soil types in India
is Arid Soil. This soil is suitable for agriculture
due to its good qualities. Arid and semi-arid soils
are mainly found in Africa, the Middle East, North
and South America and Australia. And it is the best
among types of soil for agriculture. Clay soil crops
are Brussels sprouts, Broccoli, Bean, Cabbage,
Cauliflower, Potato, Kale, Daikon radish and
Pea. Get further information about this soil in the
below section.

19. • Characteristics – It is sandy soil that comes with
low clay content. Arid soil is low in organic matter
and humidity due to the heavy evaporation in arid
regions. Due to high salt content, dry soil is saline
in nature and nitrogen content is low. However, It
is abundant in plant oils. The colour of dry soil
varies from red to brown.
• Regions or States – It is found in Aravalli west.
• Best Soil For Growing Crops – Saline resistant
and drought-tolerant crops are suitable. Barley,
maize, wheat, millets, cotton and pulses are the
growing crops in this soil.

20. 6. Mountain & Forest Soil
• The other best soil on the list of types of soil and
crops is Mountain & Forest Soil. The soil found in
the mountains has a place with practically all the
soils known in the world. The soil’s surface relies
upon the climatic circumstances in the locale. This
is one of the best soil types for agriculture. Find
more information about Mountain & Forest Soil.

21. • Characteristics – This type of soil is high in
organic matter and poor in nutrients like potash,
phosphorus and lime. Crops grown in these soils
require the right fertilizers. Along with this, it is
acidic soil.
• Regions & States – It is available in the
Himalayan area, Western and Eastern Ghats, and
a few areas of the Peninsular Plateau.
• Best Soil For Growing Crops – Wheat, barley,
maize, tea, coffee, spices, tropical and temperate
fruits are the forest soil crops.

22. 7. Desert Soil
• The last soil on the list is Desert Soil. Desert soils
structure in regions where the interest for water by
the climate and plants is more prominent than
precipitation. Deserts cover 20% to 33% of the
Earth’s territory surface and can found in the
jungles, at the shafts, and in the middle. Check out
information about this type of soil in the below
section.

23. • Characteristic – This type of soil is sandy and dry
with some quantities of nitrogen. Desert soil is
ideal for good irrigation for
agriculture. Generally, only drought-resistant
crops like millet and barley can grow in this soil.
• Regions or States – Areas of Rajasthan, Rann of
Kutch of Gujarat, adjoining regions of Haryana
and Punjab, and coastal areas of Kerala, Tamil
Nadu, and Orissa. This soil covers about 4% of the
total Indian land.
• Best Soil For Growing Crops – Only drought-
tolerant crops are suitable. Barley and millet are
two examples.