Soil of Rajasthan
The Aravallis divide Rajasthan state into eastern and western Rajasthan. The soil improves in fertility from west and northwest towards east and northeast. In many parts of the state the soils are saline or alkaline. The soils of the State have been divided into the 7 groups on the basis of their occurrence, chief characteristics and suitability for cultivation. These soil types are:
- Desert Soil
- Grey and Brown (Desert) Soil
- Red and Yellow Soil
- Ferruginous Red Soil
- Mixed Red and Black Soil
- Medium Black Soil
- Alluvial Soils
- Desert Soil:
The largest area in Rajasthan is occupied by desert soil, which covers the area west of the Aravallis up to the Pakistan border. The entire tract is ill watered and unproductive and characterized with sand dunes, hillocks and rock outcrops. The soils contain about 90 to 95 per cent sand and about 5 to 7 per cent clay. This windblown sand is partly derived from the surface rocks and partly from sand blown in from the coastal regions. This soil has high soluble salt percentage and has high pH value; the percentage of calcium carbonate is high with very low organic content. The annual rainfall of this area is less than 10 centimeters. In the case of most of the aeolian sand, the CaO content varies from 1.0 to 1.5 per cent. The CaO content in the soil is less in the sand dunes of the stabilized sandy areas at Jodhpur and at some parts of Jaipur. The soil has the presence of high nitrogen content in the form of nitrates. The phosphates and nitrates together make the desert sands fertile for agricultural crops and plants at places where water supply is regular.
- Grey Brown (Desert) Soil:
This group of soil occurs in the districts of Barmer, Jalor, Jodhpur, Sirohi, Pali, Nagaur, Sikar and Jhunjhunu and covers an area of about 36,400 sq km. The fertility of this soil increases towards the east and northeast. The soil is saline and alkaline and has a high pH value. The pH of the soils and sands ranges between 7.2 and 9.2 and they are calcareous in nature. There is a presence of nitrogen in the form of nitrates which enhance the soil fertility. The soil in Pali district (Sumerpur) shows much
variation. The hilly areas in the south have heterogeneous distribution of soils. Towards the north uniform and heavier soils are present. In this area various soil classes like coarse light soils, soils of the rocky areas, dark medium heavy soils, yellowish-brown medium soils and brown medium soils are present.- Red and Yellow Soil:
The western part of the districts of Udaipur, Bhilwara and Ajmer has this soil type. Due to the higher degree of hydration of ferric oxide the soil has acquired yellow color. Silty-loams to silty-clay loams are common in the region. The pH ranges from 5.5 to 8.5. The carbonate, salt content and humus content in the soils are poor. Nitrogen contents vary from 0.006 to 0.016 per cent and organic carbon contents vary from 0.057 to 0.126 per cent. The surface texture of soils at Pisangan in Ajmer district varies from sandy to sandy loam. Sometimes ferruginous concentrations are also found. The surface colour of the soil varies from light yellowish, through brown yellowish-brown to dark brown. In this area the soil has been classified in to following types – Sandy Soil, Shallow Soil and Dark Medium heavy Soil. Join Our Telegram Channel