Question

State the characteristics of each of the soil named below that makes them most suitable for crop cultivation:
(i) Black soil
(ii) Red soil

Answer 1

Hint: For the cultivation of wheat, cotton, pulses, tobacco, millets, orchards, potatoes and oilseeds, the Red soil is fine. The key crops cultivated in black soil include the cotton, wheat, jowar, linseed, Virginia tobacco, beaver, sunflower and millet.

Complete Answer:
(i) Black soil: Black soils are and are propagated as derivatives of trap lava. There are mainly clay soils and during dry seasons, from deep cracks. Because of their dark brown color and suitability for growing cotton, they are popularly known as “Black cotton soils"
- Black soils are black surface horizon mineral soils enriched with organic carbon that is at least 25 cm thick. A 50 percent base saturation in the black surface horizons.
- The soil is rich in iron, lime, calcium, potash, magnesium and aluminium minerals. The soil has a high potential for storing water.
- The soil is perfect in texture and artificial in character. In contrast with every other soil group, the soil is more fertile.
- Crops that can be planted on black soil. It grows well in crops such as cotton, tobacco, cold, oilseeds, jowar, Craig, sugarcane, and maize.
- Due to their high fertility and moisture retentivity, black soils are commonly used in the cultivation of many important crops. Cotton, wheat, jowar, linseed, Virginia tobacco, castor, sunflower and millets are some of the main crops cultivated in the black soils.

(ii) Red soil: Red soil is a type of soil that grows under deciduous or mixed forest in a humid, temperate, moist environment, with thin organic and organic-mineral layers overlaying a leached yellowish-brown layer resting on a red illuvium layer.
- Generally, red soil is derived from crystalline rock. The second largest area in the country is occupied by this soil built on Archean granite.
- From Tamil Nadu in the south to Bundelkhand in the north and from Raj Mahal in the east to Kathiawad in the west, they are mainly located on the Peninsula.
- The omnibus community is often referred to as this soil. The colour of the soil is red because of the presence of ferric oxides.
- The soil's top layer is red and the horizon below is yellowish. These soils are typically phosphorus, lime, magnesia, humus and nitrogen deficient.

Note: In India, black soil is also called normal soil or cotton soil. It's classified as 'Tropical Chernozems' as per international norms. The third major category of soil found in India is black soil. The soil appears black in colour, as the name implies, and has thus earned its name as black soil. Red soil as an admixture of concrete that can be used in the construction of buildings is considered ideal for concrete.