Question

State the characteristic of each of the soil mentioned below that makes them most suitable for crop cultivation:-
1. Black soil
2. Red soil

Answer 1

Hint: Black soil is suited best for the cultivation of cotton crops.
Millets, tobacco, oilseeds, potatoes etc. are some of the crops suitable in the red soil.
Black soils are trap lava derivatives and are primarily distributed across the interior of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, and approximately 10.6 per cent of India's total geographical area is covered by red soil.

Complete answer:
Black Soil:- Black soils are also called regur and black cotton soils because cotton is the most important crop grown in these soils. Several hypotheses have been put forward concerning the origin of this group of soils, but most pedologists agree that these soils were created due to the solidification of lava which is spread over huge areas during volcanic activity in the Deccan Plateau around thousands of years ago.
Most black soils are derived from the Deccan and the Rajmahal traps, as well as the ferruginous gneisses and shales in Tamil Nadu. The former are sufficiently deep, while the latter are usually shallow.
Following are the characteristics of the black soil that makes it most suitable for crop cultivation:-
Regur means cotton – best soil for cotton cultivation.
Mature soil.
High water retaining capacity.
Rich in:- Iron, calcium,lime, aluminium, potassium as well as magnesium.
It is fine textured and clayey in nature.
During the dry season, it is seen that the black soils have a tendency to shrink and develop big cracks which help in air circulation.

Red soil:- It is a type of soil that grows in a humid, temperate, moist environment under a deciduous or mixed forest, with thin organic and organic-mineral layers overlaid by a yellowish-brown leaching layer on an illuvium red layer. Red soils are typically derived from crystalline rocks. They are typically poor growing soils, low in nutrients and humus and difficult to cultivate due to their low water holding capacity. Red soil is a valuable resource.
Following are the characteristics of the red soil that makes it most suitable for crop cultivation:-
These soils have a friable composition, a lack of lime, kankar and free carbonates, and a small amount of soluble salts.
In the lower plains and valleys, there are lush, deep, dark-coloured fertile loams which, under irrigation, produce excellent crops such as cotton, wheat, pulses, tobacco, jowar, linseed, millet, potatoes and fruit.
It is porous and has a high percentage of iron oxide content.
It's loose and airy.
Red soil has greater drainage potential than other soils.

Note: Crops grown from black soil are Maize, Ragi, Sugarcane and Cashew nuts, etc. This type of soil was produced as a result of high leaching and was found in areas of high rainfall.
Red soils, red gravelly soils, red and yellow soils, and mixed red and black soils are four categories of red soil as divided by The Indian Agricultural Research Council (ICAR).
The rich, sandy loam is the best soil for most plants to ensure optimum growth. This soil is a blend of the three major soil forms.