Classification of Soils

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the classification, geographical distribution, mineral content, and crop suitability of various Indian soil types.

Alluvial Soil

Found in Northern plains through the interplay of Indus, Ganga Brahmaputra; contains silt, sand, clay, potash, phosphoric acid, and lime; classified as Khadar and Bangar.

Black Soil

Located in the Deccan trap (Gujarat, M.P and Maharashtra); composed of fine clayey material rich in calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate; ideal for Cotton.

Self aeration

A characteristic of Black soil where it develops cracks when dry and becomes sticky when wet.

Red and Yellow Soil

Develops on crystalline igneous rocks in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats; reddish due to iron diffusion and yellow in hydrated form.

Laterite Soil

Found in hilly areas of Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, and Tropical Evergreen areas; characterized by intense leaching due to heavy rain, making it acidic and poor in humus.

Laterite Soil Crops

Supports the cultivation of Cashew nuts, pineapple, tea, and coffee.

Arid Soil

Found in Western parts of Rajasthan; sandy in texture, saline in nature, contains calcium, and lacks humus and moisture; becomes cultivable after proper irrigation.

Arid Soil Crops

Rainfed crops such as Jowar, Bajra, and Maize.

Forest Soil

Located in hill and mountainous regions (J&K, HP, UK, Sikkim and AP); loamy and silty in valleys but coarse grained in upper slopes.

Khadar and Bangar

The two classifications or types of Alluvial soil.

Intense leaching

The process caused by heavy rain that forms Laterite soil, resulting in deep, acidic soil deficient in plant nutrients.

Deccan trap

The geographical area covering Gujarat, M.P and Maharashtra where Black soil is primarily found.