Question

Cashew nuts can be best grown in _______.
A) Alluvial soil
B) Red soil
C) Black soil
D) Laterite soil

Answer 1

Hint:
Cashew nut is among some of the very important nuts grown in the world and is ranked first. Among various nuts like hazelnuts, almonds, etc., cashew nut has an unenviable position and is therefore an unavoidable snack in the majority of important social functions especially in the western countries.

Complete Step by Step Answer:
Generally, cashew is very flexible in its soil requirements and it can easily adapt itself to varying soil conditions without any impairment in the productivity. While Cashew can be grown in poor soils comfortably, its performance would be even much better on good soils. The best soil for cashew is deep and well-drained sandy loam without a hard pan. Cashew can also thrive on pure sandy soils, although that would lead to various mineral deficiencies. Water stagnation and flooding are not at all congenial for cashew. Heavy clayey soils with high water retention and soils having a pH more than 8.0 are not suitable for cashew cultivation. Excessive alkaline and saline soils also hinder its growth. Sandy loam, laterite soils and coastal sands with a slightly acidic pH are considered the best for cashew.

Hence, the correct answer is D.

Note:
Commercial cultivation of cashew is done in eight states of our country mainly on the western and eastern coast namely Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal. Cashew is also grown in a few regions of Assam, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura. India is the second largest consumer of cashew in the world and also the biggest processor of the nut with the highest acreage under the crop.