Red Soil in India
Red Soil in India is 10.6% of the total geographic area. It is mostly found in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Eastern Andra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar Uttar Pradesh etc.
Red soil is developed on a crystalline igneous rock in places having low rainfall. In India, especially in the eastern and southern parts of the Deccan plateau.
Red Soil is found in parts of Odisha, Chattisgarh, along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats. This soil develops reddish colour because of the diffusion of iron in metamorphic and crystalline rocks.
The Red soil looks yellow when it is hydrated.
Red Soil Types
Red soil includes multiple soil types such as Ultisols, Alfisols, and Oxisols. These soils are classified as red soil when it develops a unique red colour. The intensity of colour varies from reddish-brown to reddish-yellow-based amount of the presence of iron.
Ultisols – Ultisol is a type of red that is strongly leached. It is acidic forest soil that has low native fertility. Ultisols were found in humid temperate and tropical areas.
Alfisols – Alfisols are a type of red soil that is moderately leached with high native fertility. It is found in temperate humid and subhumid regions mostly under a hardwood forest cover. It is clay enriched. Alfisols are good for agriculture and silviculture.
In India, it is found in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, SE Maharashtra, etc.
Primary crops are grown in Red Soil in India
With good irrigation and the use of modern fertilizers, the red soil gives a good yield. In India crops grown in red soil are mainly cotton, rice, pulses, wheat, millets, tobacco, oilseeds, etc.
