Question

Which of the following is an ill drained soil?
a)Alluvial soil
b)Peaty soil
c)Red soil
d)Grey and brown soil

Answer 1

Hint: Soil is a mixture of organic matter, nutrients, living organism,gases and water. Soil and its fertility is an important factor that influences agriculture.

Complete answer: Based on texture and composition, soils are further classified into a variety of types. According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) the following are the 8 types of soils-Alluvial Soil, Black Cotton Soil, Red Soil, Laterite Soil, Mountainous or Forest Soils, Arid or Desert Soil, Saline and Alkaline Soil, Peaty, and Marshy Soil.
Let us look at the options given to us-
a.Alluvial soil is formed by deposits of rivers and streams. It is clayey to loam in texture and is grey in colour.
b.Peaty soil is rich in organic matter and is found in areas of heavy rainfall and high humidity. It is black in colour. It is usually found in marshlands where there is high vegetation cover and waterlogging. This leads to poor drainage and thus peaty soil is poorly drained.
c.Red soil is found in areas of Igneous rocks and low rainfall. It is poor in humus and nutrient and has a reddish colour due to a wide diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks.
d.Grey and brown soil refers to eluviated, properly drained clayey soil found in temperate regions.

Therefore the correct option is option (B).

Note: Peaty soil is found in Kari in Kottayam and Alleppey districts of Kerala. It is submerged under water most of the time and is suitable for rice cultivation.