Question

Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Belagavi gave more of _________ soil.
(a)Red
(b)Black
(c)Alluvial
(d)Laterite

Answer 1

Hint: The areas of Karnataka mentioned in the question are some of the areas which receive heavy rainfall and have a high temperature. Under such conditions soluble lime and silicates dissolve in the rainwater and settle down in lower layers. This results in the soil usually found in such areas and the rock which weathers to form this soil is also used for construction purposes.

Complete answer:
In areas with heavy rainfall and high temperatures; the soluble lime and silicates that are dissolved in the rainwater settle down in the lower layers while iron and aluminum, which are non-soluble, remain in the top layers. The soil thus formed, becomes yielding during the monsoons and it dries up during the summers. This is mostly due to the formation of the laterite rock.
This laterite rock can also be used for construction purposes.
The laterite soil thus formed is very effective in growing cashew, tea, coffee, coconut, pepper, cardamom, rubber, and some of the other cash crops.

Additional Information: -Apart from laterite soil the state of Karnataka shows the presence of all kinds of soil in different regions.
-Red soils that are obtained by the weathering of granite and gneiss are seen in regions of south Karnataka like Bengaluru, Kolar, Mandya, Mysuru, etc.
-Black soil obtained from the weathering of basalt rocks which are rich in aluminum, magnesium, and oxides of iron. It is seen in many areas of North Karnataka.
-Alluvial soil is found in the coastal districts of Karnataka and the soil is rich in sediments and clay which contains a lot of organic nutrients.
So, the correct answer is, “Laterite”

Note: -Apart from laterite soils, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, and Udipi also contain the coastal alluvial soils due to their affinity to the coasts and thus receive a lot of sediments.
-Laterite rocks produced in these regions are extensively used for construction purposes and are exported from Karnataka to different regions.