Question

Why a variety of crops can be grown in black soil?
a.Because it is rich in aluminium
b.Because it is rich in soil nutrients
c.Because it retains moisture
d.None of these

Answer 1

Hint: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has categorized soils into 8 types, namely-Alluvial Soil, Black Soil, Red Soil, Laterite Soil, Forest Soils, Desert Soil, Alkaline Soil, Peaty and Marshy Soil are the types of Indian Soil. Temperature and Precipitation are the 2 important climatic components.

Complete Answer: Among the in situ soils of India, the black soils found in the lava-covered regions are the most prominent. They are often referred to as "regular soil" and are popularly known as “black cotton soils”. Internationally it is known as ‘Tropical Chernozems’.

This stretches over the areas of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Western parts of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

Black soil is formed by the process of weathering or breaking of the igneous rocks or by the solidification of lava. This soil is rich in iron, lime, calcium, potash, magnesium, and aluminium.

The main characteristics of black soil are;
- It has a clayey composition and is highly fertile.
-It is abundant in calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash, and lime but low in nitrogen and phosphorus.
-It has the property to retain moisture and is extremely lightweight and persistent when wet.
-It is contractible and develops deep large cracks on drying.

Making all the options irrelevant, option 'b' is correct.

Note: Geographically, black soils constitute 16.6 per cent of the total geographical area of the country. They are self ploughed soils that favour the growth of crops like cotton, rice, sugarcane, tobacco, linseed etc.