Page 60 - sst_class_04

of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The crops grown in alluvial soil are rice, wheat

maize, sugarcane and so on. Alluvial soil is very fertile and rich in humus.

Black Soil: Black soil as the name suggest, is dark in colour.
It is found in the northern and western parts of the Deccan
Plateau. Cotton, millet and sugarcane grow well in black soil.

Red Soil: Red soil is found mainly in the southern and eastern
part of the Deccan Plateau. The soil is not so good for

cultivation. Crops such as groundnuts, millet, pulses and
tobacco can be grown in this soil with the help of fertilisers.

Mountain Soil: Mountain soil is found in the mountain and hilly

areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand

and Arunachal Pradesh. As compared to the higher parts of
mountains, the lower parts of mountains have more fertile
soil. Crops such as wheat, maize, barley and tea are grown in

this type of soil. Fruits such as apples, pear and plum are also grown.

Laterite Soil: Laterite soil is mainly found in the hilly areas of
Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is formed due to the
washing away of minerals from the soil by rain. With the help

of manure, tea, coffee and rubber grow well in this soil.

Desert Soil: Desert soil is mainly found in the desert regions

of Rajasthan. The soil is dry and sandy and not good for
growing crops. However, with the help of irrigation dates,

millet, wheat, barley, maize, etc., can be grown in the soil.

Conservation of Soil

You already know that soil is a renewable resource. However, it takes millions of

years to form even a few inches-thick soil. So, we need to conserve soil. Sometimes,
the top layer of soil, which is usually the most fertile layer, gets carried away by

strong winds and heavy rainfall.

60 Social Studies-4