Question

The type of soil suitable for growing masoor dal is:
A) Sandy soil
B) Loamy soil
C) Clayey soil
D) Bricks

Answer 1

Hint: Masoor dal is one of the most important parts of the diet in the Indian subcontinent. It is red in colour and is basically split lentil without the skin. It needs a soil pH level of around 7 to grow properly. Proper moisture should be there in the soil at the time of sowing the seeds.

Complete answer:
Let us analyze the given options:
Option A) Sandy soil is light, warm and dry and is usually acidic. They are low in nutrients. They are often called light soils due to the high quantity of sand in them with little clay. They have fast water drainage and are easy to work with. They are good for ploughing, planting, and cultivating. This option is incorrect.
Option B) Loamy soil mostly consists of sand, silt and a small amount of clay. They can be further divided into more specific types such as sandy loam, silt loam, clay loam etc. As it retains nutrients well and drains water easily, they are suitable for agriculture. Some of the cash crops are potatoes, sugar, and dal (lentils). This option is correct.
Option C) Clayey soil is a type of natural soil with fine-grained clay minerals in them. It is heavy soil and has high nutritional capabilities. They remain wet and cold in winter and dried up in summer. They held a large amount of water in the spaces found between the clay particles. They are suitable to grow crops like Broccoli, cabbage, Cauliflower etc. This option is incorrect.
Option D) Bricks are known blocks of dried clay. They are used to build walls, pavements etc. Laterite, both soil and a rock are known as brick soil. They have high clay content and water-holding capacity. Using bio-reclamation of degraded lands, these types of soil can be used for agricultural purposes. This option is incorrect.

Thus, the correct answer is Option ‘B’ i.e, Loamy soil is suitable for growing masoor dal.

Note: Loamy soil contains enough humus which makes it one of the most ideal soil to do agriculture on. It is more fertile and compact than Sandy soil. Wheat crop, one of the most important parts of the human diet, is also grown in loamy soil because of its high fertility and richness in humus.