Soil Types
Soil Types
Red soil covers most of Jharkhand, formed by the weathering of the plateau's crystalline rock. Laterite caps the higher surfaces, alluvium lies along the rivers and the north-eastern edge, and small patches of black and sandy soil occur elsewhere.
Dominant soil — red soil | High surfaces — laterite | River tracts — alluvial
The main soil types
| Soil | Where it occurs | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Red soil | Most of the plateau | Formed from crystalline rock; low nitrogen, needs manure |
| Lateritic soil | Pat surfaces and higher plateau tops | Iron-rich, porous, poor in nutrients |
| Alluvial soil | River valleys and the north-east near the Ganga | Most fertile; supports intensive cropping |
| Sandy soil | Parts of Hazaribagh and adjoining tracts | Light, drains fast, low moisture holding |
| Black soil | Small patches, including the Rajmahal side | Clayey, holds moisture, formed on basalt |
| Micaceous soil | Koderma and Giridih mica belt | Contains mica flakes; sandy and light |
Red soil in detail
- Covers the largest share of the state's areaबार-बार पूछा जाता है
- Formed by the weathering of granite, gneiss and schist
- Red colour comes from iron oxide in the parent rock
- Generally low in nitrogen, phosphorus and humus
- Responds well to manure, fertiliser and assured irrigation
- The plateau's tanr uplands carry the poorer version of this soil
Laterite and its use
- Forms where heavy monsoon rain leaches the soil over long periods
- Rich in iron and aluminium, poor in plant nutrients
- Its aluminium-rich form is the source of bauxite in Latehar and Gumla
- Laterite blocks are cut and used as building material in rural areas
- Cultivation on laterite needs heavy manuring and careful water management
Soil and farming
- Poor soil plus low irrigation makes yields low and rain-dependent
- The fertile don lowlands carry paddy; the tanr uplands carry coarse cereals and pulses
- Soil erosion is serious on slopes cleared of forest
- Mining spoil and fly ash degrade soil around industrial districts
- Conservation measures include contour bunding, check dams and tree planting
Points that get asked
- Most widespread soil — red soil
- Soil that gives bauxite — lateritic soil
- Most fertile soil — alluvial, along rivers and the north-east
- Soil of the mica belt — micaceous soil in Koderma and Giridih
- Upland field — tanr; lowland field — don
टांड़ (Tanr) पठार का ऊपरी कम उपजाऊ खेत है और दोन (Don) निचला अधिक उपजाऊ खेत, जहां पानी ठहरता है और धान होता है।
Memory hook — Mitti ka jod — Laal sabse zyada, Laterite sabse oonchi, Kachhari sabse upjau. Teen line me poora topic. Aur ek jod — Laterite = Bauxite.
Yahan confuse hote hain — Laterite aur laal mitti alag hain, chahe dono lohe se rangeen hon.
✗ Laterite is just another name for red soil | ✓ Red soil forms from crystalline rock; laterite forms by heavy leaching on high surfaces
✗ Jharkhand ki sabse upjau mitti laal hai | ✓ Sabse upjau alluvial mitti hai, nadi ghati aur uttar-poorab me
Exam pointer — JPSC me mitti ka prakar krishi aur khanij dono ke saath jod kar poochha jaata hai — jaise laterite aur bauxite ka rishta. JSSC CGL, JKCE aur JTET me seedha — sabse zyada kaunsi mitti, tanr aur don kya hain. Table yaad karo, yahi poora scoring hissa hai.
Ek nazar me
- Red soil covers most of the state
- Formed from granite, gneiss and schist
- Red colour from iron oxide; low in nitrogen and humus
- Lateritic soil on the high Pat surfaces
- Laterite is the source of bauxite
- Alluvial soil along rivers and the north-east — most fertile
- Sandy soil in parts of Hazaribagh
- Black soil in small patches, including the Rajmahal side
- Micaceous soil in the Koderma and Giridih mica belt
- Uplands tanr, lowlands don
Ab Jharkhand ke bhugol par prashn ExamAtlas mock test me practice karo — JPSC aur JSSC dono pattern me.