SOIL RESOURCES

Soil-Top most thin layer on the earth comprising mineral particles, decayed
organic materials formed by the process of weathering.
Humus-The decayed and Decomposed organic matter that helps to increase the
soil fertility
Factors of Soil Formation
Parent Material
 The material from which soil is derived
 Parent material determines colour, texture, and mineral composition of soil
 Black soil- basic igneous rock/ basalt
Climate
 Soil vary depending on the climate
 Temperature and amount of precipitation controls the type and effectiveness
of weathering of parent rock
 Laterite soil found in wet and arid region
Relief or Topography
 Slope of the land influences the soil process
 Steep slope encourages swift flow of water and discourages process of soil
formation
 Gentle slope generally experiences deposition and have deep soil
Natural vegetation
 Decayed leaf material adds much needed humus to soil thereby increasing its
fertility
Time- Determine the thickness of soil profile
Different regions in India having different kinds of soil
 Colour, texture and chemical composition of soil depends up on parent
material and climatic conditions. Parent material As well as climatic
conditions are different from one region to another
  Factors of soil formation such as climate, parent materials, topography
and vegetation cover are different from place to place and region to
region
Residual Soil/ Insitu Soil
 Soil which lies at the place of its origin over the underlying rock/ soils are
found at the same place where they have been formed
 In situ means to develop in one area without any movement. It refers to
residual soil.
 They have well developed soil profile
 Ex: Black soil, Laterite soil and Red soil
Transported soil/ Exsitu Soil
 Soil which develops from parent material that has been moved far away
from its original place by agents of erosion such as river, wind etc
 Soil which lies far away from its place of origin
 Ex situ-soil that can be carried by different agents and deposited away from
the place where it is formed
 Soil is different from the underlying parent rock i.e soil has different
texture, mineral composition than parent rock
 Top soil is different from bed rock
 Ex- Alluvial soil
Alluvial Soil/ Riverine Soil [43%]
Formation
 Formed by the deposition of sediments brought down by rivers
 Riverine Soil- Alluvial soil is a transported soil which is deposited by rivers,
therefore mainly found in river basin
 Alluvium – The rivers deposits very fine particles of soil
 Loam- mixture of sand, silt and clay
 Most widespread soil
 Alluvial soil is extensively found in north Indian plain- formed as a result
of deposition of sediments brought by north Indian river systems such as
Ganga, Brahmaputra and its tributaries
 Northern plains are made up of Alluvial soil
[Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bihar, West Bengal]
Khadar
 Younger alluvium/ New alluvium as flood waters deposit new layers every
years during monsoon floods which enriches the soil by depositing fine silts
 Fine grained soil
 Very fertile and ideal for intensive cultivation
 Lies below flood level
 Made of fine silt and clay
Bhangar
 Old alluvium
 Coarse grained soil
 Less fertile
 Lies above flood plain /found above the flood levels of rivers
 Have calcite nodules. Composed of lime nodules – Kankar
[Khadar is more fertile than bhangar. Give Reason]
Khadar is the newer alluvium which keeps getting replenished by the river
bringing down more eroded material.
Physical Characteristics
 Colour- Colour varies from light gray to deep black
[Shades depends on the depth of deposition, texture of the material and time
taken for maturity]
 Texture- Alluvial soil varies in texture.
[ upper course - coarse grained
 lower course- Fine grained]
 Light and porous – easily tillable
 Has sufficient depth
 Is loamy
Chemical Characteristics
 Rich in Magnesia, Alumina, Iron, Lime and Potash [MAILP]
 Poor in Nitrogen, Phosphorous and humus
Alluvial soil is extremely fertile /Alluvial soil is the most fertile soil.
 As it contains minerals like iron, potash, lime
 Is renewed annually/ Replenished annually by flood water
 It is a transported soil which brings along lots of minerals
Alluvial soil differs in texture.
 Alluvial soil is coarse in the upper valley of the rivers because the
eroded material is carried away by the fast flowing river but in the
lower course, the river reduces its speed and the soil particles become
finer due to attrition or because the load itself gets eroded.
 It varies in texture as it is deposited by rivers/ transported soil. Coarse
material is deposited in higher altitude areas and fine material is
brought to lower plain

Differentiate between Alluvial soil in the upper course Alluvial soil in the low
Crops
Food Crops
 Rice -Kharif
 Wheat- Rabi
Cash Crops
 Sugarcane- Kharif
 Cotton- Kharif
 Tobacco
 Jute
 Gram- Rabi
Black Cotton Soil/Regur Soil / Lava soil
 Residual soil
FORMATION
Formed by the denudation of volcanic rocks or lava rocks
Physical Characteristics
 Colour -Black in colour
 Texture- Deep and fine grained
 Clayey in nature –Soil becomes sticky when wet on account of their clayey
content so its difficult to plough
 Can retain moisture for long duration /Highly moisture retentive
 Has Self ploughing capacity -They swell greatly and become Sticky when
wet in rainy season. In dry season moisture evaporates and shrinks, and
form long and deep cracks/ Black soil hardens and cracks when dry which
helps in aeration of the soil naturally
 –Does not get leached because it is clayey , sticky and moisture retentive
therefore the rain cannot wash out the silicates
Chemical property –
 Rich in Lime, Iron, Magnesium, Calcium, Alumina and Potash [LIMCAP]
 Poor in phosphorous nitrogen and organic matter
 Non- acidic
 Non-alkaline
 Black soil being suitable for growth of cotton. ? [It is moisture retentive,
has self ploughing qualities and is rich in lime, iron, potash, calcium, claying
in nature]
 Black soil is difficult to plough - Soil becomes expands and sticky when
wet on account of their clayey content so difficult to plough

Suitable for dry farming especially in rain fed region –

 Due to slow absorption and loss of moisture soil retains the moisture for
long time
Crops-
Cotton, sugarcane, wheat, cotton / sugarcane / tobacco / cereals / oil seeds /
jowar / wheat / gram.
RED SOIL
Formation
 Denudation of old crystalline metamorphic or igneous rocks [MT]
 Formed in areas of poor rainfall in the eastern and southern part of Deccan
Plateau
Physical Characteristics
 Colour- Red in colour- Presence of iron oxide/ Ferric Oxide]
 Texture- Coarse grained
 Porous friable and aerated in nature
[PH value- 6.6 to 8.0]
 Does not retain moisture
 Does not get water-logged
Chemical Characteristics
 Rich in Potash and Iron
 Deficient in Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Lime and humus
 Contains soluble salts
 Generally, less fertile but responds to manures or fertilizers
 Red soil need irrigation as it does not retain moisture since it is highly
porous
Dry farming is preferred in areas with red soil.- Red soil is ideal for dry
farming because it is porous and does not retain moisture.
Crops- Rice, Ragi, Tabacco, Groundnut, vegetables etc
Laterite Soil
 Formed as a result of weathering of lateritic rocks under the condition of
high rainfall and temperature with alternate wet and dry periods
[Formation take place under monsoon condition]
  Process of Leaching –Leaching-The process by which soluble minerals
[lime, silica] dissolve in rain water and percolate to the bottom, leaving
the top soil infertile.
Physical Characteristics
 Colour- Red in colour [colour varies from red to brown to yellow]
 Texture-Coarse grained
 Porous and dry
 Soft and friable
 Does not retain moisture
 Hardens when dry -Used as construction material [Hardens like iron when it
exposed to air and soil is durable]
Chemical Characteristics
 Rich in Iron oxide and alumina
 Poor in Nitrogen, Lime, Magnesium, potash
 Alkaline
 Acidic in nature- [Not suitable for cultivation]
Crops
 Soil is not suitable for cultivation or has low fertility?
 High acidity
 Low moisture retention
How can Laterite soil be made productive?-[By adding manure and
fertilizers including nitrogen phosphorus and potash can make soil productive]/
Use of fertilizer and irrigation facility
 Tapioca, Rice, Sugarcane and Ragi
 Plantation crops- Cashew, Tapioca, Tea , Coffee, Arecanut and Rubber
Mention two similarities between red soil and laterite soil.
 Both are red in colour because of the presence of iron oxide
  both are infertile soils
 both are friable
 both are not moisture retentive
 both are poor in organic matter
Soil Erosion by Running Water
Sheet Erosion
 Sheet erosion is the slow removal of a thin and more fertile top layer of soil
by rainwater washing it away.
 Occurs where vegetation is removed
 Sheet erosion-flood plains of Brahmaputra, Ganga, Kosi, Damodar, Nilgiris.
Gully Erosion
 The process by which rain water, flowing in definite paths, removes the top
soil, thus causing deep cuts to the surface of the land.
 Gully erosion – Chambal valley –Madhya Pradesh
 Badland Topography –Region with a large number of deep gullies or ravines
Soil Erosion by Wind
 Movement and deposition of soil particles by wind in arid and semi arid
region
 Suspension- Lifting of soil particles less than 0.1 mm or finest particles high
into the air and can be carried for long distance
 Saltation – Lifting and bouncing of soil particles 0.1-0.5 mm in size by
wind in arid or semi- arid region
 Soil Creep- Soil particles greater than 0.5 mm in diameter, are rolled
across the soil surface by wind
CAUSES
Mention two causes of soil erosion in India
 Heavy rainfall/ Nature of rainfall
 Topography-Rate of soil erosion is more in steep slope
 Strong wind
 Deforestation / heavy rain / faulty farming practice / shifting agriculture/
overgrazing/mining/quarrying
Mention one way in which man is responsible for soil erosion.
Man is responsible for soil erosion because of large scale deforestation done
for agriculture
 Industrialization
 Urbanization
 He allows his livestock to overgraze land
 Faulty farming practices
 Mining
 Construction
 Quarrying, excessive usage of chemical fertilizer, pesticide or insecticide
 Shifting agriculture.
 Overgrazing
Foothills of Himalayas have been affected by soil erosion.
 Due to large scale deforestation in past/ heavy rain/ torrential downpour
Consequences of Soil Erosion
 Loses fertility
 Underground water level will be reduced
 Loss of vegetation
 Drought become frequent
 Loss of agricultural productivity
 SOIL CONSERVATION - Soil conservation is an effort made by man to
prevent soil erosion and to retain its fertility.
Need for Soil conservation. Why?
  As soil supports all plant life
 To increase our agricultural output
 To minimize the silting of river bed and canal bed
 To increase water table
The conservation of soil as a natural resource.
 Soil is a natural resource which must be conserved or else the land becomes
barren and cannot be cultivated, food crops will have to be imported and the
agro-based industries will suffer. Some kinds of soil are also required for
construction purposes. It takes very long for an inch of top soil to be formed
Name two soil conservation methods that may be practised in arid (dry)
regions
Planting of shelter belts, strip cropping, afforestation or wind breakers.
Shelterbelts- Planting trees in several rows to check soil erosion by wind
arid or semi-arid regions
Terrace farming is an ideal soil conservation method for hilly regions.
Terrace farming prevents soil erosion by slowing the speed of running water
[surface runoff] and thus contributes to soil conservation
Terraces check the speed of running water and thus reduce the chance for
erosion.
How does deepening river bed controls soil erosion –
Deepening the river bed increases the capacity of the river to hold water which
then will not overflow to cause soil erosion.
Reforestation should be practised extensively.
 As it helps prevent soil erosion/Afforestation prevents soil from getting
eroded.
 Holds the soil together
 The roots of the trees hold the soil together thus prevents soil from getting
eroded.
Wind is a common agent of soil erosion in arid regions.
  Soil erosion by wind is common in arid regions because arid areas do not
support vegetation and since there are no roots to hold the soil together, the
wind can carry away the loose soil easily
 Wind speed is high due to absence of obstruction.
Give two methods adopted by the government to conserve soil
 Integrated watershed management – Flood prone rivers
 Banning of shifting cultivation
 Afforestation
Mention any two agricultural techniques that can help to prevent soil erosion.
- Crop rotation, Strip Cropping, Contour ploughing

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