Soil Classification

Soil Classification
Indian
Introduction
• First scientific classification of Indian soils was made by Voeleker
(1893) and Leather (1898), according to them-----
Alluvial soil
Regur(Black earth)
Red soil
Lateritic soil
• In 1956 All India Soil and Land Use Survey Organisation attempted for
soil classification.
Continue….
• National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation published soil map of India in 1957 into six major
groups and eleven sub-group.
• In 1963,the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, under the supervision of S.P Ray Chaudhury divided
into seven groups.
• Recently, on the basis texture, structure, colour, pH value, and porosity, the Indian Council of Agricultural
Research identified the following types of soil groups---
1. Alluvial soil
2. Red soil
3. Regur (Black-earth) soils
4. Desert soil
5. Laterite soil
6. Mountain soil
7. Red and Black soil
8. Grey and Brown soils
9. Submontane soils
10. Snowfields
Alluvial soil
• Mostly available soil in India (about 43%) which covers an area of 143 sq.km.
• Widespread in northern plains and river valleys.
• In peninsular-India, they are mostly found in deltas and estuaries.
• Humus, lime and organic matters are present.
• Highly fertile.
• Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputhra plain, Narmada-Tapi plain etc are examples.
• They are depositional soil – transported and deposited by rivers, streams
etc.
• Sand content decreases from west to east of the country.
• New alluvium is termed as Khadar and old alluvium is termed as Bhangar.
• Colour: Light Grey to Ash Grey.
• Texture: Sandy to silty loam or clay.
• Rich in: potash
• Poor in: phosphorous.
• Wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane, pulses, oilseed etc are cultivated mainly.
Red soil
• Seen mainly in low rainfall area.
• Also known as Omnibus group.
• Porous, friable structure.
• Absence of lime, kankar (impure calcium carbonate).
• Deficient in: lime, phosphate, manganese, nitrogen,
humus and potash.
• Colour: Red because of Ferric oxide. The lower layer
is reddish yellow or yellow.
• Texture: Sandy to clay and loamy.
• Wheat, cotton, pulses, tobacco, oilseeds, potato etc
are cultivated.
Black soil / regur soil
• Regur means cotton – best soil for cotton cultivation.
• Most of the Deccan is occupied by Black soil.
• Mature soil.
• High water retaining capacity.
• Swells and will become sticky when wet and shrink when dried.
• Self-ploughing is a characteristic of the black soil as it develops wide
cracks when dried.
• Rich in: Iron, lime, calcium, potassium, aluminum and magnesium.
• Deficient in: Nitrogen, Phosphorous and organic matter.
• Colour: Deep black to light black.
• Texture: Clayey.
Laterite soil
• Name from Latin word ‘Later’ which means Brick.
• Become so soft when wet and so hard when dried.
• In the areas of high temperature and high rainfall.
• Formed as a result of high leaching.
• Lime and silica will be leached away from the soil.
• Organic matters of the soil will be removed fast by the bacteria as
it is high temperature and humus will be taken quickly by the
trees and other plants. Thus, humus content is low.
• Rich in: Iron and Aluminum
• Deficient in: Nitrogen, Potash, Potassium, Lime, Humus
• Colour: Red colour due to iron oxide.
• Rice, Ragi, Sugarcane and Cashew nuts are cultivated mainly.
Desert / arid soil
• Seen under Arid and Semi-Arid conditions.
• Deposited mainly by wind activities.
• High salt content.
• Lack of moisture and Humus.
• Kankar or Impure Calcium carbonate content is
high which restricts the infiltration of water.
• Nitrogen is insufficient and Phosphate is normal.
• Texture: Sandy
• Colour: Red to Brown.
Mountain soil
• In the mountain regions of the country.
• Immature soil with low humus and acidic.
• Nature of soil colour is dark brown.
• These soil can be divided into
Loamy podzols: mid-latitude zone in the Himalayas.
High altitude soils: Brown and red loam soil.
Red and Black Soils
• The red and black soil is found in
isolated patches in Bundelkhand and
to the east of Aravallis in Rajasthan
and Gujarat.
• Developed over the granite, gneiss,
and quartzite of the Archaean and
Pre-Cambrian period.
• They are devoted to maize, bajra,
millets, pulses and oilseeds.
Grey and Brown Soils
• Soils are loose friable.
• Presence of iron-
oxide(haematite and
limonite)
• Found in Rajasthan and
Gujarat.
Submontane Soils
• Soils are found in the Tarai region of the sub-
montane stretching from Jammu and Kashmir
to Assam in the form of a narrow belt.
• Formed by the deposition of the eroded
material from the Shiwaliks and the Lesser
Himalayas.
• The soil is fertile and supports luxuriant growth
of forest.
• The clearing of forest for agricultural purpose
has made this area highly susceptible to soil
erosion.
Snowfields
• The high peaks of the Greater
Himalayas, Karakoram, Ladakh and
Zaskar are covered by ice and
glaciers.
• The soils in these areas is immature,
generally without soil erosion.
• It remains frozen and is unsuitable for
the cultivation of crops.
Distribution Pattern of Soil in India

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