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ClearIAS » Geography Notes » Different soil types in India: Understand the differences using an Easy-to-Learn Table

Different soil types in India: Understand the differences using an Easy-to-Learn Table

Last updated on May 4, 2017 by Clear IAS Team

This post is a continuation of our previous article on Soils of India: Classification and Characteristics. The Indian council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) set up an All India Soil Survey Committee in 1953 which divided the Indian soils into eight major groups. For ease of understanding and comparative study, this post about the 8 soil types is prepared in tabular form, highlighting the key differences.

Different soil types in India: Understand the differences

Soils of India

  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

Model questions based on soil types for UPSC Prelims

Soil types Qn 1: Among the statements given below, identify the correct statement(s):

  1. Laterite soil is also known as ‘self-ploughing’ soil.
  2. Alluvial soils are rich in humus and nitrogen.
  3. Forest soils are deficient in potash and lime.

Choices:

  • a) 1 only
  • b) 1 and 2 only
  • c) 3 only
  • d) 1, 2 and 3

Right Answer c) 3 only

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Explanation: The Black soil is known as self-ploughing soil. Alluvial soil lacks nitrogen.

Article Contributed by: Anushka H

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rajiv says

    June 12, 2015 at 8:56 am

    Helpful material, thanks. But it is incomplete as it misses out on descriptions of : a) Peaty and marshy soils, and b) Forest and mountain soils.

    Reply
    • Abhinav singh says

      May 29, 2018 at 8:32 pm

      Yeah ! You are right

    • Radhakrishana says

      December 25, 2018 at 12:05 pm

      Appdiya they r righta

  2. dhillonz says

    June 16, 2015 at 10:06 pm

    the topic is very nicely compiled
    thanks CLEAR IAS Team

    Reply
  3. rahul says

    July 16, 2015 at 5:31 pm

    Very helpful to understand things.

    Reply
  4. priyanka says

    September 22, 2015 at 12:30 am

    Thanks, but it is incomplete

    Reply
  5. maq says

    September 22, 2015 at 8:47 pm

    wonderful:::::::::::::::::::

    Reply
  6. Shashwat Khokhar says

    September 27, 2015 at 12:28 am

    Finally got the handy information
    Thanks ClearIAS

    Reply
  7. Rani says

    March 10, 2016 at 12:26 am

    How to remember dis

    Reply
    • Ananya Raj says

      January 5, 2019 at 4:36 pm

      By figuring out the map in india we can remember it a bit easily.

  8. Titu Antony D'silva says

    June 5, 2016 at 11:33 pm

    Kindly mention the crops of each soil.

    Reply
  9. Mrs nupur chauhan says

    October 12, 2016 at 12:52 pm

    It’s nice helps at urgent ??

    Reply
  10. HANNA LATHEEF says

    August 27, 2017 at 10:30 pm

    IT SEEMS GOOD BUT SOMETHING IS MISSING AS MR.RAJIV SAYS IT.SO I AM NOT REPEATING

    Reply
  11. Ravikant says

    December 9, 2017 at 10:34 pm

    Pls earth and sun p bhi topic banaiye n

    Reply
    • Gaury says

      June 9, 2019 at 11:07 am

      yes

  12. Jasman says

    February 17, 2018 at 10:12 pm

    Forest soils….description is missing…nd…otherwise it is helpful

    Reply
  13. Ansh says

    March 17, 2018 at 4:03 pm

    Wonderful

    Reply
  14. persivefire says

    April 17, 2018 at 11:00 pm

    alkaline soil can support crops which are resistant to waterlogging

    Reply
    • persivefire says

      April 17, 2018 at 11:00 pm

      like rice

  15. Murugalakshmi says

    May 14, 2018 at 10:37 pm

    Very useful Thanks clear IAS

    Reply
  16. Pritam says

    May 29, 2018 at 6:16 am

    Outstanding…… I was in search of this very thing only😶😶😶😶😶😶😶☺☺☺☺☺☺

    Reply
  17. AsKarl fatima says

    July 8, 2018 at 2:56 pm

    Good but some soils description are missing

    Reply
  18. Ani Kumar sukuri says

    August 13, 2018 at 12:10 pm

    Wonderful information…
    Means a lot….
    Thanks …soomuch👌👌👌💝

    Reply
  19. Vansh says

    October 3, 2018 at 6:17 am

    nice but incomplete

    Reply
  20. Divyansh says

    October 12, 2018 at 10:33 pm

    Desert soil,mountain soil,marshy soil and alkaline soil what are they,and different names of them please tell

    Reply
  21. Dipu says

    June 13, 2019 at 12:17 pm

    Why alluvial soil question is said that it rich in what and as mentioned above you guys have portrayed lacks in nitrogen and phosphorus than how could be the question is option 3, please take a look and reply fast. Thank you.

    Reply
  22. Sanket says

    January 29, 2020 at 8:13 pm

    I want about brown soil

    Reply
  23. Purvaa Garg says

    July 1, 2020 at 5:22 pm

    Thank you , the information that I need is all written . ☺️☺️

    Reply

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