Outline About Soil Profile of India

Soil is formed when small rock particles and organic materials are mixed and form on the surface of the earth and it gives great support to the plants. The texture of the soil determines the health and type of plants which can grow in it. Soil profile refers to the line-by-line cross-section which is made up of a layer that is aligned to the surface of the earth. 

Soil consists of 3 layers which are topsoil, which is the topmost layer, subsoil, weather and decomposed rock which is the last layer and it consists of rock materials and is the first move in the soil formation. 

Types of Soil Found in India

According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research soils are classified into 8 types which are:

1. Alluvial soil – the place of origin of alluvial soil in the northern plains and river valleys. It is widespread on the major surface of India; it covers almost 40%. They have a good texture and are clayey. The colours are of 2 types they can be light grey and ash grey. They are even of 2 types Khadar and Bhangar. 
2. Red soil and yellow soil – it is also known as the omnibus group and it is also spread over a large area covering about 18.5% of the total surface of India. The place of origin of this soil is in the areas where there are heavy rainfalls, they are red and have a loamy texture and they are fine-grained. 
3. Black or Regur soil – it is spread over 15% of the total surface area of India. The place of origin of this soil is in various parts of the Deccan Plateau. The colour is not fixed and can be Black and even Grey. They have high qualities of lime, aluminium, iron, magnesium and potassium. 
4. Desert Soil – Desert soil covers an area of about 4.42% of the total surface area of India. The colour of the soil is not fixed it varies from red to brown. The place of origin of this soil is on Rajasthan’s west side and they are rich in phosphate and do not have adequate nitrogen. 
5. Laterite soil – Laterite soil almost covers about 3.7% of the total surface area of India. They are not very fertile and the place of origin of this soil is Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh etc. They are hard and are used for purpose of building bricks. 
6. Mountain Soil – the place of origin of this soil is in the forest area because there are adequate rainfalls in that region. The texture is not fixed the texture depends on the area in which this is found. They are fertile and are also known as forest soil. 
7. Peaty and Marshy Soil – the place of origin of this soil is in regions that face heavy rainfall and have humidity. They provided good vegetation and are rich in humus. The colour of this soil is black and they are alkaline. They are found in West Bengal, Orissa, and Tamil Nadu. 
8. Saline and Alkaline soil – This soil is rich in sodium, magnesium and potassium and they are infertile. They are loamy in texture and are they are calcium and nitrogen deficit. The place of origin of this soil is arid and semi-arid regions. They can be mostly found in West Bengal, Gujarat etc. 

Conclusion

The soil profile of India gives us a better idea of the different types of soil which are found and gives us an idea of where the soil is found, they are fertile or infertile, they help in cultivation or not, they provide adequate nutrients or not etc. soil profile helps us to know about the soil that it is topsoil, subsoil or the area which only consists of rock materials which help in getting the idea that what type of cultivation can be done on that soil because every soil supports different types of cultivation of crops.