Major Soils of India

India has diverse soil types due to varied climate, topography, parent rock, and biological activity. Indian soils are broadly categorized into 8 major groups based on their formation, characteristics, and geographical distribution.

1. Alluvial Soil

• Extent: ~40% of India’s total area (largest)
• States: Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bihar, WB, Assam, parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan
• Formation: Deposited by rivers (Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra)
• Sub-types:
  • Khadar (new): Fertile, light-colored, found in floodplains
  • Bhangar (old): Dark, more clayey, contains kankar nodules
• Texture: Sandy loam to clay loam
• Fertility: Rich in potash, phosphoric acid, and lime but poor in nitrogen and phosphorus
• Crops: Rice, wheat, sugarcane, pulses, oilseeds
• Soil Orders: Entisols, Inceptisols

2. Black Soil (Regur Soil)

• Extent: ~15% of India’s area
• States: Maharashtra, MP, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
• Formation: Weathering of basalt (Deccan Traps)
• Texture: Clayey, deep, cracks in summer (shrink-swell behavior)
• Characteristics:
  • High water retention
  • Rich in calcium, magnesium, iron
  • Poor in nitrogen, phosphorus
  • High CEC (40–60 meq/100g) due to montmorillonite clay
• Crops: Cotton, soybean, sorghum, pulses
• Soil Order: Vertisols

3. Red Soil

• Extent: ~10% of India’s area
• States: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, parts of MP
• Formation: Weathering of igneous and metamorphic rocks
• Color: Red due to ferric oxide; yellow in hydrated form
• Texture: Sandy to loamy
• Fertility:
  • Poor in nitrogen, phosphoric acid, humus
  • Moderate in potash
• Crops: Millets, groundnut, cotton, pulses
• Soil Orders: Alfisols, Ultisols, Inceptisols

4. Laterite Soil

• Extent: ~3.7% of India’s area
• States: Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam
• Formation: Intense leaching under high rainfall and temperature
• Texture: Porous, soft when wet, hard when dry
• Composition: Rich in iron and aluminium oxides
• Fertility: Poor in lime, potash, and nitrogen
• Crops: Tea, coffee, cashew with proper management
• Soil Orders: Alfisols, Ultisols, Oxisols

5. Desert (Arid) Soil

• Extent: ~4.4% of India’s area
• States: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana
• Formation: Aeolian (wind-blown) sands
• Color: Light brown to yellowish
• Texture: Sandy to loamy sand
• Fertility: Low organic matter and moisture
• Features:
  • High soluble salts
  • Often calcareous (caliche layer present)
• Crops: With irrigation – bajra, pulses, guar
• Soil Order: Aridisols

6. Mountain or Forest Soil

• Extent: Found in Himalayan and hilly regions
• States: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, NE states
• Formation: Weathering of rocks under forest cover
• Fertility: Variable – rich in organic matter but may be acidic and shallow
• Crops: Tea, apple, maize, barley
• Soil Orders: Inceptisols, Alfisols, Entisols

7. Saline and Alkaline Soil

• Occurrence: Arid and semi-arid regions, waterlogged plains
• States: UP, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar
• Causes: Poor drainage, excessive irrigation, capillary rise
• pH: >8.5 (alkaline)
• Characteristics:
  • White crust on surface
  • Low fertility
• Reclamation: Gypsum, green manuring, leaching

8. Peaty and Marshy Soils

• Occurrence: Waterlogged, swampy areas
• States: Kerala (Kuttanad), coastal Bengal, parts of Odisha, Bihar
• Formation: Accumulation of organic matter in wet conditions
• Characteristics:
  • Dark in color, high organic matter (>20%)
  • Poor drainage
• Crops: Paddy, coconut (after management)

Soil Order – Indian Soil Type Mapping 

Exam-Focused Quick Facts

• Most fertile soil: Alluvial
• Most moisture-retentive soil: Black soil
• Most leached soil: Laterite
• Youngest soil: Alluvial (Entisols)
• Organic soil: Histosols (Peaty/marshy)
• Desert soils: Aridisols – sandy, low fertility
• Red color due to: Iron oxide
• Regur soils: High in montmorillonite (shrink-swell clay)