Soil is a natural resource comprising of mineral particles, organic matter, various microorganisms, water and air that forms the upper layer of the Earth's crust. Soil serves as a critical medium for plant growth which is necessary for sustenance of terrestrial life.
Fact to remember | Type of Soil |
---|---|
The soil most common in Indo-gangetic plains | Alluvial Soil |
The soil which swells when wet and develops cracks when dry | Black Soil |
The soil which owes its colour to oxides of iron | Laterite Soil |
The soil which requires least use of fertilisers | Alluvial Soil |
The soil which requires least tilling because of its characteristic of self-ploughing | Black Soil |
The kind of soil which is treated with gypsum to make it suitable for cropping | Alkaline soil |
The soil which is poor in soluble salts | Laterite |
The soil which is rich in surface accumulation of organic matter | Peaty soil |
The soil which is most suitable for cultivation of cotton | Black Soil |
Khadar and Bhangar are types of | Alluvial Soil |
The soil which also known as Regur Soil | Black Soil |
The soil which is generally unfit for cultivation | Laterite Soil |
The soil which is commonly used for making bricks | Laterite Soil |
Type of Soil | How formed |
---|---|
Alluvial Soil | By silt deposition brought by rivers. |
Black Soil | By weathering of lava deposits on the Deccan Plateau. |
Red and Yellow Soil | By weathering old crystalline or metamorphic rocks. |
Laterite Soil | Due to leaching by heavy rains and destruction of humus by bacteria. |
Arid Soil | By weathering of rocks in dry conditions. |
Saline Soil | By salt deposition by tides, rivers or sea breeze. |
Peaty Soil | Due to accumulation of larges amounts of organic matter in the soil. |
A crop is a cultivated plant or agricultural produce that is grown and harvested for food, feed, fiber, medicinal plants, and other uses. Crops are intentionally cultivated by humans for various purposes, and they form the basis of agriculture, providing sustenance and raw materials for numerous industries.
Crops may be classified by the use they are put by people growing them. Broadly, they may be classified as under:
Point to remember | Crop |
---|---|
The crop which requires water-logging for its cultivation | Rice |
The crop best suited in areas where rain falls only for two months | Pulses |
The ideal crop for areas with rainfall above 200 cm and sloping hills | Tea |
The crop which requires a large amount of rainfall and no standing water | Tea |
The plants which are best for biological nitrogen fixation of the soil | Legumes |
The crops grown for sale in the market (as against consumption by the farmer) are known as | Cash crops |
Cropping Season | Period | Major Crops |
---|---|---|
Kharif | June to October | Rice, millets |
Rabi | November to March | Wheat, barley, mustard |
Zaid | March to June | Water melon, cucumber, musk melon, sugarcane |
Kharif means autumn in Arabic and kharif crops are harvested in winter, Rabi means spring in Arabic and rabi crops are harvested in spring (March) |