Different soil types in India: Understand the differences

1. Alluvial soils
2. Black (or Regur soil)
3. Red and Yellow soils
4. Laterite soils
5. Arid and desert soils
6. Saline and alkaline soils
7. Peaty and marshy soils
8. Forest and mountain soils

Types of Soils	States where found	Rich in:	Lacks in:	Crops grown
Alluvial	Mainly found in the plains of Gujarat,  Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand etc.	Potash and Lime	Nitrogen and Phosphorous	Large variety of rabi and kharif crops such as wheat, rice, sugarcane, cotton, jute etc.
Black (Regur soil)	Deccan plateau- Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh,Tamil Nadu, Valleys of Krishna and Godavari.	Lime, Iron, Magnesia and Alumina, Potash	Phosphorous, Nitrogen and organic matter	Cotton, sugarcane, jowar, tobacco, wheat, rice etc.
Red	Eastern and southern part of the deccan plateau, Orissa, Chattisgarh and southern parts of the middle Ganga plain.	Iron and Potash	Nitrogen, Phosphorous and humus.	Wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane and pulses
Laterite	Karnataka, Kerala, Tamilnadu, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Orissa hills.	Iron oxide and potash	Organic matter, Nitrogen, Phosphate and Calcium	Cashewnuts, tea, coffee, rubber
Arid and Desert	Western Rajastan, north Gujarat and southern Punjab	Soluble salts, phosphate	Humus, Nitrogen	Only drought resistant and salt tolerant crops such as barley, rape, cotton, millets maize and pulses
Saline and Alkaline	Western Gujarat, deltas of eastern coast, Sunderban areas of West Bengal, Punjab and Haryana	Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium	Nitrogen and Calcium	Unfit for agriculture

 

1. Alluvial Soil 

• Alluvial soil constitutes of 42 % of the total soil area in India. 
• It is formed as a result of deposition of rivers and thus it is more fertile and rich in organic material. 
• Alluvial Soil is found in plenty in the states - Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Punjab, Haryana and Brahmaputra Valley in Assam etc. of India. 
• Alluvial Soil is best for crops like - Wheat, Rice, Cotton, Jute, Barley, Corn, Oilseed, Coffee, Potatoes, Chili, Cloves etc. 

 

2. Black Soil

• Black soil constitutes of 15% of the total soil area in India. 
• It is formed as a result of weathering of lava rocks of Deccan plateau and thus rich in Iron, magnesium, Silica, Lime and potash. 
• It has high clay content and has high water retaining property. 
• Black Soil is found in plenty in the states - Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh. 
• Black Soil is best for crops like - Mulberry Cotton Plant Ground Nut, Chili, Cotton, Tobacco, Chili, Oil Seeds, Jowar, Ragi, Maize, Castor, Sugarcane, Safflower etc. 

 

3. Red Soil

• Red soil constitutes 25 % of the total soil area in India and is the most widely spread soil. 
• It is formed a s a result of erosion of Granite and Gneissic rocks. 
• It is rich in Iron, phosphate, lime, potash and humus and supports wide crop diversity. 
• Major areas of Red soil in India is - Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh. 
• Red Soil is best for crops like - Cotton, Wheat, Pulses, Tobacco, Jowar, Linseed, Millet, Potatoes and Some Fruits etc. 

 

4. Laterite Soil

• Laterite soil constitutes 4.5 % of the total soil area in India and is the most acidic soil. 
• It gets quickly eroded on deforestation, mining and plantation. 
• It is not suitable for agriculture but suitable for special crops like tapioca and cashew. 
• Major areas of laterite soil in India is Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Meghalaya, West Bengal . 
• Laterite soils is best for crops like Tea, Coffee, Coconuts, Rice, Wheat, Cotton, Maize, Sugarcane, Jute Oil Seeds, Millets, Pulses etc. 

 

5. Mountain Soil

• Mountain soil is a thin layer of soil formed under cold humid climate. 
• It is not suitable for agriculture but suits best for forestry.
• The humus content is high in this soil due to the climate. 
• Major areas of mountain soils in India are - Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam. 
• Mountain Soil is best for crops like Coffee, Tea, Wheat, Maize, Blueberries, Saffron etc. 

 

6. Saline and Alkaline Soil

• Saline-Alkaline soil is found in canal areas. 
• In moderate arid condition, calcification occurs and in extreme arid conditions, salinity occurs. 
• Major areas of Saline and Alkaline soils in India are - Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra etc. 
• The soil is best for crops like Seem, Rice, Sugarcane, Fruits, Spices etc. 

 

7. Desert Soil

• Desert soil is sandy and loose soil. 
• Due to its coarse structure, the water holding capacity is very less. 
• As it has low nutrients, it is not suitable for agriculture. 
• Major areas of Desert soils in India are -Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab 
• The soil is best for crops like Xerophytes only. 

 

8. Peaty and Marshy Soil

• These are black coloured, heavy and highly acidic soils. 
• When the vegetation growing in such wet places dies, it decomposes and a layer of partly decayed organic matter accumulates on the surface, giving rise to such peaty and marshy soils. 
• Major areas of Peaty and Marshy soils are - Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttaranchal. 
• This soil is best for crops like Rice, Oilseeds, Citrus, Tobacco, Sugarcane etc.