Types
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Features
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Location
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Alluvial Soils
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Includes Khadar and Bhangar types, replenished by seasonal floods, rich in potash and lime, highly fertile
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Plains of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and river deltas
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Black Soil
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Also known as 'Regur Soil', it is clayey, impermeable, and rich in lime, iron, and alumina, making it ideal for cotton cultivation.
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Predominantly found in the Deccan Plateau, parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
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Red and Yellow Soil
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Well-drained and fertile, the red or yellow coloration is due to iron content; often lacks nitrogen and phosphorus.
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Common in the Deccan Plateau, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and the Middle Ganga Plain.
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Laterite Soil
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Formed in regions with high temperature and heavy rainfall, low in humus, acidic, and suitable for making bricks
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Peninsular Plateau, including Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Ranchi, and Assam.
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Arid Soil
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Sandy, saline, low in organic matter, and ranges from red to yellow in color
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Arid regions of western Rajasthan
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Peaty Soils
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Heavy, black in color, rich in organic matter and humus
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Areas with abundant rainfall and high humidity, such as northern Bihar, southern Uttarakhand, and coastal parts of West Bengal, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu
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Forest Soils
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The texture varies with the region; acidic in snow-covered areas but fertile in lower valleys.
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Forested regions with adequate rainfall, including the Himalayan region, Western and Eastern Ghats, and some areas of the Peninsular Platea
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Saline Soils
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Salty, varying from sandy to loamy, deficient in nitrogen but high in sodium and potassium.
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Arid, semi-arid, waterlogged regions, deltas, and the Sundarbans.
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