The distribution of Indian soils is the silent geographer of Indian agriculture. Discuss with reference to alluvial, black, red and laterite soils.
Subtopic: Geography · Physical — Indian Soils
How to structure your answer
Introduction: The ICAR-NBSS&LUP classifies Indian soils into eight major orders; four account for almost the whole cropped area.
Body — three dimensions: (1) Alluvial — Indo-Gangetic plain, khadar and bhangar, supports wheat-rice cropping in Punjab, Haryana, UP. (2) Black or regur — Deccan Trap weathering, montmorillonite clay, self-ploughing, supports cotton in Maharashtra, Gujarat, MP. (3) Red and laterite — leached, iron-rich, low fertility, on Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala uplands; laterites support cashew and rubber. (4) Limits: soil erosion (5.3 billion tonnes/year per ICAR), salinity in canal-irrigated Punjab, organic carbon below 0.5% in over 60% of districts.
Conclusion: The Soil Health Card Scheme (2015) is the policy attempt to match crop choice to soil reality.
Written within the word limit
140 words · target 150 words · 9 min
Introduction: The ICAR-NBSS&LUP (Nagpur) classifies Indian soils into eight major orders, of which four — alluvial, black, red and laterite — underwrite almost the entire cropped area.
Body: Alluvial soils cover the Indo-Gangetic plain, split into older bhangar and newer khadar, sustaining the Punjab–Haryana–UP wheat-rice belt. Black regur, weathered from the Deccan Trap, is rich in montmorillonite clay and self-ploughs in summer cracks, anchoring cotton in Vidarbha and Khandesh. Red soils dominate the southern peninsula, supporting Tamil Nadu's millet tracts. Laterite, formed by alternating wet–dry leaching, carries cashew and rubber in Kerala and Karnataka. Soil erosion of 5.3 billion tonnes a year (ICAR) and organic carbon under 0.5 per cent across most districts now strain this base.
Conclusion: The Soil Health Card Scheme of 19 February 2015 is the policy attempt to match crop choice to soil reality at the farm gate.
What an examiner expects to see
- Eight major soil orders by ICAR-NBSS&LUP, Nagpur
- Alluvial soil — c. 40% of land, Indo-Gangetic plain
- Khadar (new) and bhangar (old) alluvium
- Black soil (regur) — Deccan Trap basalt weathering
- Montmorillonite clay self-ploughing, retains moisture
- Black soil cotton belt — Maharashtra, Gujarat, MP
- Red soil — south Indian peninsula, iron-rich
- Laterite soils — high rainfall, alternating wet-dry, Kerala, Karnataka
- Soil Health Card Scheme launched 19 February 2015
- Soil erosion 5.3 billion tonnes per year (ICAR)
Concrete cases, schemes and judgments
- Punjab-Haryana wheat-rice on alluvial khadar
- Vidarbha cotton belt on regur
- Tamil Nadu red soil and millet cultivation
- Kerala laterite supporting cashew, rubber
- Sundarbans saline alluvium