Maarg Manthan · Topic 8.10

Types, Textures and Distribution of Soils in India

Geography › Physical Geography of India · Topic 8.10

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research groups the soils of India into eight major types. Alluvial soils, the most widespread and fertile, cover the northern plains and coastal deltas. Black soils (regur), formed on the Deccan lava, cover the Deccan and suit cotton. Red and yellow soils lie on old crystalline rocks of the south and east. Laterite soils form in high-rainfall hills, arid soils in the desert, saline and alkaline soils in dry irrigated areas, peaty and marshy soils on humid coasts, and forest and mountain soils in the Himalaya. Texture varies from sandy to clayey.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · Physical Geography of India

At a Glance

Most widespread Alluvial soil
Cotton soil Black soil (regur)
Acidic leached soil Laterite
Desert soil Arid soil, sandy
Classification by ICAR, eight groups
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: Physical Geography of India

Where Does It Fit?

This topic applies the general account of soil formation and classification to India. It follows the topics on climate, since soils reflect climate and rock, and prepares for the topic on soil degradation and the natural vegetation of India. Previous topic: Climatic Zones of India. Next topic: Soil Degradation and Erosion in India and Conservation Measures.

What Are the Eight Major Soil Types?

Soil	Parent material and region	Texture and features	Crops
Alluvial	Deposited by the Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra and peninsular rivers; Indo-Gangetic-Brahmaputra plain, east coast deltas; the most extensive group, covering roughly two-fifths of the land	Sandy loam to clay; rich in potash and lime, poor in nitrogen and humus. Older bhangar has kankar nodules; newer khadar is finer and more fertile	Wheat, rice, sugarcane, jute, pulses, oilseeds
Black (regur)	Weathering of basalt of the Deccan Traps; Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana	Clayey, holds moisture, swells when wet and cracks when dry (self-ploughing); rich in lime, iron, magnesium and calcium; poor in nitrogen, phosphorus and humus	Cotton, soybean, sorghum, pulses, sugarcane
Red and yellow	Old crystalline rocks of the Peninsula; Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and parts of the Northeast	Sandy to loamy and porous; red from iron oxide, yellow when hydrated; poor in nitrogen, phosphorus, lime and humus	Millets, groundnut, pulses, tobacco, with irrigation rice
Laterite	Heavy rain on rocks, with leaching; Western Ghats, Keralam (Kerala), Karnataka, Odisha, Meghalaya, Assam hills	Gravelly, acidic, hard when dry; low in nutrients and humus	Tea, coffee, rubber, cashew, tapioca
Arid (desert)	Wind-blown sand and weathered rock; Rajasthan, parts of Gujarat and Haryana	Sandy, saline, low in humus, high in phosphate; kankar layers below	Bajra, pulses, fodder; irrigated wheat and cotton
Saline and alkaline (usar, reh, kallar)	Dry areas with poor drainage and canal irrigation; Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, coastal areas	Salts on the surface; infertile unless reclaimed	Salt-tolerant crops after gypsum treatment
Peaty and marshy	Humid coasts with waterlogging; Keralam (kari soils), Sundarbans, Odisha, Tamil Nadu coast	Black, heavy, acidic, rich in organic matter	Rice in Keralam, mangroves in deltas
Forest and mountain	Himalayan and hill forests	Vary with altitude; rich in humus but acidic and thin on slopes	Apple, tea, spices, potato and rice in terraces

The shares of the types are given differently in different surveys, so the table gives only the leading one, and the latest figures should be checked with the National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning. The general causes of these differences, such as climate and parent rock, are explained in Classification of Soils.

What Do Texture and Colour Tell About Indian Soils?

Sandy soils: in deserts and on coasts; drain fast, hold little water.
Loams: in river plains; the best for crops.
Clays: in the black soil region and deltas; hold water but are hard to work.
Colour: red and yellow show iron oxides, black shows high clay with titanium and organic compounds, and grey and bluish show waterlogging.

How Do the Soils Link with Geography and Land Use?

The pattern of Indian soils follows the rocks and climate. The Himalaya send sediment to the plains, which give the alluvium; the Deccan lava gives black soils, and the old Peninsular shield rocks give red soils. Laterite forms where heavy rain falls on the Western Ghats and the Northeast hills, as in Relationship Between Rocks and Soils. Cropping follows the soil: wheat and rice on alluvium, cotton on black soil, millets on red soil and plantations on laterite and hill soils. As an analytical point, the best soils of India are also the most heavily used, and intensive irrigation and fertiliser have brought problems of salinity, nutrient loss and falling fertility, which are the subject of Soil Degradation and Erosion in India and Conservation Measures.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Facts Soil types and crops are asked
Link Rocks, climate and soils
Issues Degradation

What Came Next?

The next topic describes soil degradation and erosion in India and the measures for conservation. Next topic: Soil Degradation and Erosion in India and Conservation Measures.

Key People and Terms

Bhangar Older alluvium with kankar
Khadar Newer, fertile alluvium
Regur Black cotton soil
Kankar Lime nodules in soil
Usar Saline soil
Kari Peaty soil of Keralam

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Alluvial soil is the most widespread in India.
Black soil is formed from basalt; best for cotton.
Laterite suits tea, coffee, cashew, rubber.
Khadar is newer than bhangar.
ICAR groups soils into eight types.

Do Not Confuse With

Bhangar and khadar Old, kankar-rich versus new, fine and fertile
Red soil and laterite Crystalline rock soil versus leached soil of heavy rain
Saline and alkaline soil Neutral salts versus sodium-rich soils

Memory Hook

Alluvial feeds, black cotton grows; red for millets, laterite for teas and rows.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for the distribution of soils and the relation with crops. These points add depth.

Pattern Rock and climate
Crops Soil-wise cropping
Issues Fertility and salinity

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Describe the major soil types of India with their distribution and suitability for crops.”

How to Answer

Classify Eight soil types.
Features Origin and texture.
Crops Soil-wise cropping.
Problems Degradation.

GS Relevance

Prelims: eight soil types, their parent material, region, features and crops. GS Paper 1: soils of India; GS Paper 3: agriculture.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the major soil types of India?

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research groups the soils of India into eight types: alluvial, black, red and yellow, laterite, arid, saline and alkaline, peaty and marshy, and forest and mountain soils. Alluvial soil is the most widespread and fertile, and black soil is characteristic of the Deccan lava region.

What is regur soil?

Regur, or black cotton soil, is formed from weathering of the basalt of the Deccan Traps. It is clayey, holds moisture, swells when wet and cracks when dry, which makes it self-ploughing, and is rich in lime, iron and magnesium but poor in nitrogen and humus. It is ideal for cotton.

What is the difference between bhangar and khadar?

Bhangar is older alluvium that lies above the level of floods, with kankar nodules and lower fertility. Khadar is newer alluvium found in the floodplains, renewed by floods every year, and is finer, sandier and more fertile. Both occur in the Indo-Gangetic plain.

Where is laterite soil found in India?

Laterite soil is found in regions of heavy rainfall and high temperature, such as the Western Ghats, Keralam, Karnataka, Odisha, Meghalaya and the Assam hills. It is acidic, gravelly and poor in nutrients, but it supports plantation crops such as tea, coffee, rubber and cashew with fertiliser.

Which soils are saline and alkaline?

Saline and alkaline soils, called usar, reh or kallar, form in dry areas with poor drainage where salts collect on the surface, especially in canal-irrigated tracts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. They are infertile unless they are drained and treated with gypsum.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Black soil in India is formed from the weathering of basalt.

True

It is the soil of the Deccan Traps.

2 Alluvial soil is the most widespread soil group of India.

True

It covers roughly two-fifths of the land.

3 Laterite soils are rich in nutrients.

False

They are leached and acidic.

4 Khadar is older alluvium than bhangar.