Soil Science

Peat soils are also called marshy soils. They are a result of waterlogging and anaerobic conditions (which leads to partial decomposition of organic matter). They are found in the areas of heavy rainfall and high humidity, where there is a good growth of vegetation. It occurs widely in the northern part of Bihar, the southern part of Uttaranchal and the coastal areas of West Bengal, Orissa, and Tamil Nadu. These soils are normally heavy and black in color.

According to their age alluvial soils can be classified as old alluvial (Bangar) and new alluvial (Khadar). The bangar soil has higher concentration of kanker nodules than the Khadar. It has more fine particles and is more fertile than the bangar.

Bhabar, Bangar, and Khadar are all types or regions of alluvial soil formed by river deposition. In contrast, Regur (black soil) is formed from the weathering of volcanic basalt rocks.

These soils are black in color and are also known as regur soils. Since black soil is ideal for growing cotton, it is also known as black cotton soil. It is believed that climatic conditions along with the parent rock material are the important factors for the formation of black soil

Mountain soils are found in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal in the Himalayan mountain regions. They are rich in humus and in the drier areas of deciduous forest belt, brown soils are found. They are very good for orchard crops.

These brown forest soils are called Podzol of deciduous forests.

Most desert soils are called Aridisols (dry soil). These are porous sandy soils with low nitrogenous matter and humus.

Most desert soils are called Aridisols (dry soil). These are porous sandy soils with low nitrogenous matter and humus. These are saline in nature too.

Deserts cover 20 to 33% of the Earth’s land surface, and can be found in the tropics, at the poles, and in between. Desert soils are formed where there is scanty rainfall.

Humus content of the soil is low because most of the micro organisms, particularly the decomposers like bacteria, get destroyed due to high temperature. Laterite soils are suitable for cultivation with heavy doses of manures and fertilizers. 

This is the most widely spread and important soil. In fact, the entire northern plains are made of alluvial soil. These soils also extend in Rajasthan and Gujarat through a narrow corridor. Alluvial soil is also found in the eastern coastal plains particularly in the deltas of the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri rivers.

 The laterite soil develops in areas with high temperature and heavy rain. This is the result of intense leaching due to heavy rain. Humus content of the soil is low because most of the micro organisms, particularly the decomposers, like bacteria, get destroyed due to high temperature. 

This is the most widely spread and important soil. The alluvial soil consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay. Alluvial soils as a whole are very fertile. Mostly these soils contain adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid and lime.

• Black cotton soil is also called as regular soil.
  
• Black soils are derivatives of trapped lava. These are found mostly across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh on the Deccan lava plateau and the Malwa Plateau, where there is both moderate rainfall and underlying basaltic rock.
  
• Cotton is grown well in this soil.
  

• Laterite soils are developed in the areas with high temperature and heavy rainfall.
  
• Laterite soil is a rock type soil rich in iron and aluminium, and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas.

Red soil is widely distributed in the peninsular plateau, including states like Odisha (Orissa), Chhattisgarh, and parts of southern India. In contrast, Punjab and Haryana are dominated by alluvial soils, and Rajasthan has desert/arid soils.