The committee appointed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), classified the Indian soil in the following main groups:
1. Alluvial Soil:
In India it covers about 40 per cent of the total land area. It is very fertile and contributes the largest share of agricultural wealth. Found mostly in the Northern Plains, starting from Punjab in the west to West Bengal and Assam in the east. It is also found in the deltas of the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri rivers in the Peninsular India. The northern parts and the coastal areas of Gujarat also have some deposits of alluvial soil.
The fine particles of sand, silt and clay are called alluvium. The alluvial soil can be divided into a. Old alluvium, called bangar b. New alluvium, called khadar.
The alluvial soils contain adequate potash, phosphoric acid and lime. Alluvial soil is most suited to irrigation and can produce bumper crops of rice, wheat, maize, sugar cane, tobacco, cotton, jute, oilseeds, etc.
2. Black Soil:
The black soil is locally called regur, a word derived from Telugu word ‘reguda’. It is also called the Black Cotton Soil, as cotton is the most important crop grown in this soil. The black soil is mostly found in the Deccan Trap, covering large areas of Maharashtra, Gujarat and western Madhya Pradesh. It is also found in some parts of Godavari and Krishna river valleys, covering parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
The black soil is well-known for its capacity to hold moisture. This soil is rich in calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, potash and lime.
Black soil is widely used for producing cotton, wheat, linseed, millets, tobacco and oilseeds. With proper irrigation facilities, this soil can also produce rice and sugar cane.
3. Red Soil:
The red soil occupies about 10 per cent area of India, mostly in the south-eastern part of the Peninsular India. The red soil is found in Tamil Nadu, parts of Karnataka, southeast Maharashtra, eastern parts of Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Jhark hand. Most of the red soil has been formed due to weathering of igneous and metamorphic rocks. The red colour is due to the high percentage of iron contents.
This soil is rich in potash, but poor in lime, phosphate, nitrogen and humus. Red soils can give excellent yields of cotton, wheat, rice, pulses, millets, tobacco, oilseeds, etc.
4. Laterite Soil:
The word ‘laterite’ has been derived from a Latin word meaning ‘brick’. It is mainly found on the summits of the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, Rajmahal Hills, Vindhyas, Satpuras and Malwa plateau. It is well- developed in southern Maharashtra, and parts of Orissa, West Bengal, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Assam and Meghalaya. Such climatic conditions promote leaching of soil. Leaching is a process in which heavy rains wash away the fertile part of the soil. The laterite soil is red in colour and composed of little clay and much gravel of red sandstones.
Laterite soil generally is poor in lime and deficient in nitrogen. The phosphate contents are generally high. Due to intensive leaching, the laterite soil generally lacks fertility and is of low value for crop production. But when manured and timely irrigated, the soil is suitable for producing plantation crops like tea, coffee, rubber, coconut, arecanut, etc.
5. Mountain Soil:
The mountain soil is generally found on the hill slopes covered with forests. This soil is also found in the Western and Eastern Ghats and in some parts of the Peninsular India. The mountain soil is formed mainly due to the deposition of organic matter provided by the forests.
This soil is rich in humus, but poor in potash, phosphorus and lime.
In the Himalayan region wheat, maize, barley and temperate fruits are grown on this soil. This soil is especially suitable for producing plantation crops, such as tea, coffee, spices and tropical fruits in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
6. Desert Soil:
The desert soil is found mostly in the arid and semi-arid regions, receiving less than 50 cm of annual rainfall. Such regions are mostly found in Rajasthan and the adjoining areas of Haryana and Punjab. The Rann of Kachchh in Gujarat is an extension of this region. The desert soil has sand (90 to 95 per cent) and clay (5 to 10 per cent). The nitrogen content is low, but the phosphate content is as high as in normal alluvial soil.
Desert soil can produce a variety of crops, such as wheat, millets, barley, maize, pulses, cotton, etc. Shortage of water in the arid regions is the main limiting factor for agriculture.
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