Day-5 Answer Writing Challenge : Model Answer

Question: Write a short note on Black soil. (4 marks)

Answer: 

Black soil covers most of the Deccan Plateau which includes parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and some parts of Tamil Nadu. Black soils are spread over 5.46 lakh sq km (i.e. 16.6 per cent of the total geographical area of the country. In the upper reaches of the Godavari and the Krishna, and the north western part of the Deccan Plateau, the black soil is very deep.

The black colour of the soil is because of presence of Titaniferous magnetite. The black soils are formed because of the weathering of Basaltic Deccan Plateau therefore they are clayey in character. The black soils are generally clayey, deep and impermeable. They swell and become sticky when wet and shrink when dried. So, during the dry season, these soils develop wide cracks. Thus, there occurs a kind of ‘self ploughing’.

These soils are also known as the ‘Regur Soil’ or the ‘Black Cotton Soil’. Because of this character of slow absorption and loss of moisture, the black soil retains the moisture for a very long time, which helps the crops, especially, the rain fed ones, to sustain even during the dry season. That is why they are suitable for the growth of Cotton and Sugarcane.

They are newly formed soil that is why they are highly fertile. Chemically, the black soils are rich in lime, iron, magnesia and alumina. They also contain potash. But they lack in phosphorous, nitrogen and organic matter. The colour of the soil ranges from deep black to grey.