Question

Mention two differences between Alluvial and Red soil.

Answer 1

Hint: Alluvial soil is a soil that is deposited by surface water, they are found near rivers and surface water bodies. Red soil is a type of soil that is found in a warm and temperate moist climate, it is generally derived from crystalline rocks.

Complete answer:

Characteristics of Alluvial Soil	Characteristics of Red Soil
1. It is the most widely available soil in India and covers an area of about 43%. It is majorly found in the northern plains and river valleys, peninsular-India and near deltas and estuaries.	1. It covers an area of about 10.6% and is found in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra.
2. Humus, lime and organic matter are found in alluvial soil. It is extremely rich in Potash and the crops associated with it are Wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane, pulses, oilseed.	2. The red soil is deficient in important nutrients like lime, phosphate, nitrogen, hummus and potash.
3. It is a depositional soil which means it is transported and deposited by rivers.	3. It is formed by weathering of crystalline rocks.
4. New alluvial soil is termed as Khadar and old alluvium is termed as Bhangar, the soil is mostly loamy and clayey.	4. It doesn’t have any kankars or small stones present in it like other soils. The lower layer is reddish yellow or yellow and the texture of the soil is sandy.
5. Colour of the soil is Light Grey or Ash Grey and the crops associated with it are Wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane, pulses, oilseed.	5. The colour of this soil is red because of Ferric oxide and the crops associated with it are Wheat, cotton, pulses, tobacco, oilseeds, potato.

Note: Red soils are generally formed from iron-rich sedimentary rock. It is not very fertile and as a result not the most suitable for agriculture. It is low in nutrients needed for cultivation and also has a low humus content. The exact opposite is the Alluvial soil which is very rich in nutrients and is dominantly found in the Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputra plain and Narmada-Tapi plains.