Soil- Its Types, benefits & Soils of India

Soil may be defined as a thin layer of earth's crust which serves as a

natural medium for growth of plants. It is the unconsolidated mineral matter
that has been subjected to, and influenced by, genetic and environmental
factors-- parent material, climate, organisms and topography all acting over a
period of time. They serve as a reservoir of nutrients and water for crops,
provide mechanical anchorage and favorable tilth. The components of soil are
mineral matter, organic matter, water and air, the proportions of which vary
and which together form a system for plant growth; hence the need to study
the soils in perspective.
There are many soil classification systems. There are two major systems
are the vernacular system and scientific system. In vernacular system soil can
be categorized as red soil, black soil, yellow soil, hot soil, etc. In scientific
system the soil can be categorized according to the development of soil or the
amount of substances present in the soil. As there are various systems to
classify soils, it means soil classification is not static. Categorizing soil or dirt by
the size of particles is most common, and can be easily performed at home.
This classification helps to understand the basic properties of the soil and helps
to conclude if the type of soil is good enough for gardening or farming.
Therefore depending on the size of the particles in the soil, it can be
classified into these following types:
Sandy Soil
This soil type has the biggest particles; and the bigger size of the particles in a
soil the better is aeration and drainage of the soil. This soil is granular and
consists of rock and mineral particles that are very small. Therefore the texture
is gritty. Sandy soil is formed by the disintegration and weathering of rocks
such as limestone, granite, quartz and shale. Sandy soil is easier to cultivate if
it is rich in organic material, but then it allows drainage more than is needed,
thus resulting in over-drainage and dehydration of the plants in summer. It
warms very fast in the spring season. Sandy soil retains a certain amount of
moisture and nutrients. In a way sandy soil is good for plants since it lets the
water drain easily, so that it prevents root rot problems.
Silty Soil
Silty soil is considered to be one of the most fertile of soils. It can occur in
nature as soil or as suspended sediment in water column of a water body on
the surface of the earth. It is composed of minerals like quartz and fine organic
particles. It is granular like sandy soil but it has more nutrients than sandy soil
and offers better drainage. In case silty soil is dry it has a smoother texture and
looks like dark sand. This type of soil can hold more moisture and at times
becomes compact. It offers better drainage and is much easier to work with
when it has moisture.
Clay Soil
Clay is a kind of material that occurs naturally and consists of very fine grain
material with very less air spaces. Due to this it is difficult to work with this soil,

because the drainage in this soil is low. Hence, there is possible for water
logging to occur, which can harm the roots of the plant. Clay soil becomes very
heavy when wet and if cultivation has to be done, organic fertilizers need to be
added to the soil. Clay soil is formed after years of rock disintegration and
weathering. It is also formed as sedimentary deposits after the rock is
weathered, eroded and transported. Clay soil due to its formation process is
rich in mineral content.
Loamy Soil
This soil consists of sand, silt and clay to some extent. It is considered to be the
perfect soil for gardening. The texture is gritty and retains water very easily,
yet the drainage is good. There are various kinds of loamy soil ranging from
fertile to very muddy and thick sod. Yet out of all the different kinds of soil,
loamy soil is ideal for cultivation. So, in case you are thinking of starting a
vegetable patch or a small garden, apply a layer of loamy soil to the garden
before you start plantation.
Peaty Soil
This kind of soil is basically formed by the accumulation of dead and decayed
organic matter; it naturally contains much more organic matter than most of
the soils. It is generally found in marshy areas. The decomposition of the
organic matter in this soil is blocked by the acidity of the soil. This kind of soil is
formed in wet climate. Though the soil is rich in organic matter, nutrients
present are fewer in this soil type than any other type. Peaty soil is prone to
water logging, but if the soil is fertilized well and the drainage of the soil is
looked after, it can be the ideal for growing plants.
Chalky Soil
Unlike peaty soil, chalky soil is very alkaline in nature and consists of a large
number of stones. The fertility of this kind of soil depends on the depth of the
soil that is on the bed of chalk. This kind of soil is prone to dryness and in
summers it is a poor choice for plantation, as the plants would need much more
watering and fertilizing than on any other type of soil. Chalky soil, apart from
being dry also blocks the nutritional elements for the plants like iron and
magnesium.
There are different types of soils in India and the formation of soil is influenced
by7 various major factors like climate, altitude and composition of bedrock.
Disproportion in the annual distribution of rainfall in the country and excessive
heat contribute special characters to the soils of the country. The eight major
types of soils in India are Laterite soils, Black soils, Desert soils, Red and Yellow
soils, Saline soils, alluvial soils, Mountain soils and peat soils.
The various Types of Soils found in India are discussed belowLaterite Soil/Red Soil:
It is the soil of the tropical regions of the country. This typical soil is found in
those regions which receive heavy rainfall. This soil is poor in lime content and
hence it is more acidic. It is basically red in color because of the presence of

iron oxides. Lateritic soils are well developed in the southern region of Western
Ghats and Orissa`s Eastern Ghats. This soil contains least moisture content.
Laterite Soils are mostly found on the plateau in the east spreading partly over
Orissa and Tamil Nadu, parts of Chhota nagpur and Meghalaya.
Black Soil:
Black soils are also known as Regur soils. The colour of the soil is black because
of the presence of certain salts. However, in some places, presence of humus in
the soil imparts its black colour. This soil becomes sticky when is wet owing to
the high quantity of clay deposition. Black soils are generally thin and sandy in
the hilly regions of the country. It does not contain adequate nitrogen but it
contains sufficient phosphorous required for the growth of the plants. Black
soils can be found in the Deccan plateau and also in plateaus of Madhya
Pradesh, Saurashtra, Malwa and Maharashtra.
Red and Yellow Soil:
Red and Yellow soils are found in areas, which receive low rainfall. They
generally develop on metamorphic rocks. They contain huge concentration of
iron oxides that are responsible for giving the reddish or yellow color. They are
less clayey and sandier and are poor in important minerals like lime,
phosphorous and nitrogen. This soil is mainly cultivated during the monsoon
rainy season. These soils also develop in Manipur, Shillong Plateau and
Mizoram.
Saline Soil:
Saline soils develop in the coastal plains of Kerala and Orissa. In some regions
of the country, salt content is in toxic doses. Saline soils are basically black in
color. They are highly acidic.
Alluvial Soil:
Alluvial soils are mainly found in the plains of northern India. These soils have
low phosphorous and nitrogen content. These soils are sandier in their
composition. Even in the north western regions of the country which are drier
these soils are found. The Himalayan Rivers, Ganga, Sutlej and Brahmaputra,
and their tributaries have deposited these soils in the plains of northern India.
Desert Soil:
These soils are basically sandy and are of light brown and reddish color. They
are of saline texture. These soils are favorable for vegetation if there is water
content. These soils contain an important mineral that is nitrogen. This type of
soil is found in desert regions like in Thar Desert of Rajasthan.
Mountain Soil:
Mountain soils are considered as a significant variety of soil in the Himalayan
region of the country. They are mainly found in dry and cold district in the
northern region of India.
Peat Soil:
Peat soil has usually been derived from marsh land where there has been
continuous growth and decay over thousands of years. The sourness in this soil

is produced by the decaying of the vegetable matter present, as peat soils

contain more than 20 per cent of humus. These are found in Kerala, Tamil Nadu,
West Bengal and Orissa. Peat is usually found in low-lying areas, and so may be
waterlogged and may need pipe draining. Certain crops, like celery, for
instance, do very well on peat soils. It has fewer nutrients and is dark brown in
color. It is formed in wet climate. This type of soil contains more organic matter.
SOIL EROSION
Soil erosion is described as the carrying away of soil. It is the theft of the soil by
natural elements like water, wind, glacier and wave. Gravity tends to move soil
down slope either very slowly as in soil creep or very rapidly as in landslides.
The present shape of land has been carved through thousands of years. Soil
erosion has become now one of the major environmental problems and a
serious constraint for agricultural production. There are many physical and
social factors which determine the extent and severity of soil erosion. The
principal physical factors are
erosivity of rainfall, erodibility of soil, severity of periodic floods, length and
steepness of the slope. The important social factors are deforestation,
overgrazing, nature of land use and methods of cultivation. Ravines, gullies and
landslides are most serious and highly visible forms of land erosion. On the
other hand, sheet erosion caused by rains and erosion due to winds are least
visible but equally serious as they too take a heavy toll of our precious top soils.
Soil erosion by ravines and gullies is widespread in India, It has been estimated
that 3.67 million hectares of soil surface is damaged. There are four major
areas of ravines and gullies in India. They are (1) Yumuna-Chambal ravine zone,
(2) Gujarat ravine zone, (3) The Punjab Siwalik foothills zone and (4)
Chhotanagpur zone. There are other areas of substantial ravine erosion in the
Mahanadi valley, upper Son valley, upper Narmada and Tapi valleys, Siwalik
and Bhabar tract of the western Himalayan foothills and edges of Ganga Khadar
in western Uttar Pradesh. The
relatively less affected areas are whole of Deccan south of the Godavari, the
Ganga-Brahmputra plains, east of Varanasi, Kutchchh and western Rajasthan.
Sheet erosion is widespread over sloping deforested terrain, unterraced
uplands of Peninsular region, Sutlej-Ganga plains, Coastal plains, Western Ghats
and North-Eastern hills.
The occurrence of landslides is common in earthquake sensitive belts,
particularly the Siwaliks. Heavy rainfall and cutting of slopes for roads,
buildings and mining activities trigger landslides. In the last 50 years, the
Rajasthan desert has encroached upon 13000 hectares of land in Rajasthan,
Gujarat, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Glacial erosion is limited to high Himalayas
and sea erosion is confined to coasal areas only. Soil erosion and soil
exhaustion due to loss of soil nutrients pose serious threats to our efforts of
increasing the productivity of soil faster than the population growth.
SOIL CONSERVATION
Methods by which soil is prevented from being eroded consitute soil
conservation. If the soil is wasted or blown away, it is not easy to replenish it.
Therefore, the most important step of soil convservation is to hold the soil in
place. This is possible by improved agricultural practices in different regions.

Contour ploughing and terracing are generally practised on the hill slopes. They
are the simplest conservation methods. Rows of trees or shelter belts are
planted to protect the fields in desert regions from wind erosion. Afforestation
of the catchment areas and slopes in the Himalayas, the Upper Damodar valley
in Jharkhand and the Nilgiri hills in the south has been implemented. It reduces
the surface runoff and binds the soil. Ravines are noted for their enormous size
and depth with vertical sides. The Central Soil Conservation Board has
established 3 research stations: (1) Kota in Rajasthan, (2) Agra in Uttar Pradesh
and (3) Valsad in Gujarat to suggest methods of reclamation of ravine lands.
Overgrazing by sheep, goat and other livestock has been partly responsible for
soil erosion. Erosion due to these factor has been reported from Jammu &
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka. Soil exhaustion can be
prevented by the application of manure and fertilisers.