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Soils and Agriculture

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Soils and Agriculture

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Soil & Agriculture

Soil

• Definition: Loose material or the upper layer of mantle rock consisting of small particles and
humus, supporting plant growth.
• Composition: Mineral/rock particles, decayed organic matter, soil water, soil air, living
organisms.
• Formation Factors: Parent material, relief, climate, vegetation, life forms, time.
• Elements:
o Inorganic or mineral fractions
o Organic matter
o Air
o Water
• Formation Process: Pedogenesis.

Soil Profile

• Horizon A (Topsoil): Topmost layer, rich in organic materials and mineral matter.
• Horizon B (Subsoil): Contains more minerals, less humus.
• Horizon C (Weathered Rock): Composed of loose parent material.
• Bedrock: Underneath these layers.

Types of Soil in India

1. Alluvial Soil
o Location: Northern plains, river valleys, deltas of the east coast.
o Area: 40% of the total land.
o Color: Light grey to ash grey.
o Texture: Sandy loam to clay.
o Rich in: Potash.
o Lacks: Phosphorus.
o Crops: Wheat, maize, sugarcane, pulses, oilseed.
o Features: Derived from Himalayan debris, includes Khadar (new) and Bhangar (old) soils.
2. Red & Yellow Soil
o Location: Eastern, southern Deccan Plateau, Western Ghats, Odisha, Chhattisgarh.
o Area: 18.5% of total land.
o Color: Red (iron), yellow when hydrated.
o Texture: Fine-grained is fertile, coarse-grained is less fertile.
o Rich in: Potash.
o Lacks: Nitrogen, phosphorus, humus.
o Crops: Wheat, cotton, oilseeds, millets, tobacco, pulses.
3. Black or Regur Soil
o Location: Deccan Plateau, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh.
o Area: 15% of total land.
o Color: Deep black to grey.
o Texture: Clayey, deep, impermeable.
o Rich in: Iron, lime, aluminum, magnesium, potassium.
o Lacks: Nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter.
o Crops: Cotton, pulses, millets, castor, tobacco, sugarcane, citrus fruits, linseed.
4. Desert Soil
o Location: Western Rajasthan.
o Area: 4.42% of total land.
o Color: Red to brown.
o Texture: Sandy to gravelly, low moisture content.
o Rich in: Normal phosphate.

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Soil & Agriculture
o Lacks: Nitrogen, humus, organic matter.
o Crops: Dates, fig.
o Features: High salt content, calcium content forming ‘kankar’ layers.
5. Laterite Soil
o Location: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Odisha.
o Area: 3.7% of total land.
o Color: Red/brick red.
o Texture: Hardens on exposure to air.
o Rich in: Iron oxide, potash.
o Lacks: Organic matter, nitrogen, phosphate, calcium.
o Crops: Cashew nuts.
6. Mountain Soil
o Location: Forest regions with sufficient rainfall.
o Texture: Coarse-grained in upper slopes, loamy and silty in valleys.
o Features: Acidic with low humus in snowbound areas, fertile in lower valleys.
7. Peaty and Marshy Soils
o Location: Regions with heavy rainfall and high humidity.
o Features: Heavy, black, rich in humus and organic matter.
8. Saline and Alkaline Soils
o Location: Arid, semi-arid, waterlogged, swampy regions (Gujarat, deltas of the eastern
coast, Sundarban).
o Texture: Sandy to loamy.
o Rich in: Sodium, magnesium, potassium.
o Lacks: Calcium, nitrogen.
o Crops: Suitable for leguminous crops.
o Features: Can be reclaimed by improving drainage, applying gypsum or lime.

Other Soil Types

• Red and Black Soil: Developed over granite gneiss and quartzite, productive if irrigated.
• Grey and Brown Soil: Found in Rajasthan, Gujarat, formed by weathering of granite quartzite.
• Sub-Montane Soil: Found in Tarai region, supports forest growth.
• Snowfields: Found under snow and glaciers, unsuitable for crops.
• Karewa Soil: Lacustrine deposits in Kashmir Valley, good for saffron, almonds, apple, walnut
cultivation.

Soil Erosion

• Causes: Water, wind, deforestation, intensive agriculture.


• Types: Sheet erosion, gully erosion.
• Effects: Decreased water-carrying capacity of rivers, floods, reduced soil fertility.
• Prevention: Contour bunding, terracing, controlled grazing, afforestation, floodwater storage,
reclamation of gullies and ravines.

Soil Conservation

• Methods: Maintain soil fertility, prevent erosion, improve degraded soil conditions.
• Practices: Contour bunding, terracing, controlled grazing, regulated forestry, cover cropping,
mixed farming, crop rotation, afforestation.

Major Crops of India


• Types: Cash Crops, Food Crops.

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Soil & Agriculture
• Cash Crops: Grown for commercial purposes (cotton, jute, sugarcane, tobacco).
• Food Crops: Grown for direct consumption (rice, wheat, millets).

Cropping Seasons in India

• Rabi: Sown in winter (Oct-Dec), harvested in summer (Apr-Jun).


• Kharif: Sown at monsoon onset (Jun-Jul), harvested (Sep-Oct).
• Zaid: Grown between Rabi and Kharif (Mar-Jul).

Examples of Food Crops

• Rice: Kharif crop, loamy or clayey soil, high humidity, major states: Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab.
• Wheat: Rabi crop, clayey loamy soil, cool climate at sowing, major states: Rajasthan, Uttar
Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh.
• Millets: Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, high nutrition, grown in various states based on soil type and
rainfall.

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