The correct answer is Red Soil. Explanation & Key Takeaways: • Red Soil:- • Red soil develops reddish colour due to the diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks. • It looks yellow in a hydrated form. • It is highly porous and fertile when they are fine-grained and deep. • This soil is deficient in nitrogen, humus, phosphoric acid, magnesium, and lime but fairly rich in potash, with its pH ranging from neutral to acidic. • Cotton, wheat, rice, beans, millets, tobacco, oilseeds, potatoes, and fruits are some of the appropriate crops for red soils. • Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall in the eastern and southern parts of the Deccan plateau. • They are also found in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the middle Ganga plain and along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats. Related Concepts: Laterite Soil • Laterite has been derived from the Latin word ‘Later’ which means brick. • The laterite soils develop in areas with high temperatures and heavy rainfall. • These are the result of intense leaching due to tropical rains. With rain, lime and silica are leached away, and soils rich in iron oxide and aluminum compound are left behind. • Humus content of the soil is removed fast by bacteria that thrives well in high temperature. • These soils are poor in organic matter, nitrogen, phosphate and calcium, while iron oxide and potash are in excess. • Hence, laterites are not suitable for cultivation; however, application of manures and fertilizers are required for making the soils fertile for cultivation. • Red laterite soils in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are more suitable for tree crops like cashewnut. • Laterite soils are widely cut as bricks for use in house construction. • These soils have mainly developed in the higher areas of the Peninsular plateau. • The laterite soils are commonly found in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and the hilly areas of Odisha and Assam. Black Soil • Black soil covers most of the Deccan Plateau which include parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and some parts of Tamil Nadu. • These soils are also known as the ‘Regur Soil’ or the ‘Black Cotton Soil’. • The black soils are generally clayey, deep, and impermeable. • They swell and become sticky when wet and shrink when dried. Being sticky is characteristic of black soil. • So, during the dry season, this soil develops wide cracks. Thus, there occurs a kind of ‘self-ploughing’. • The black soils are rich in lime, iron, magnesia, and alumina. • They also contain potash but they lack phosphorous, nitrogen, and organic matter. Alluvial Soil • Alluvial soils are widespread in the northern plains and the river valleys. These soils cover almost 40% of the total area of the country. • They are depositional soils, transported and deposited by rivers and streams. • Zonal Soil- These types of soil have the same mineral properties that of the parent rock and are found in the same area where they are weathered. • The alluvial soils vary in nature from sandy, loam to clay. • Alluvial soils lack nitrogen, phosphorus and humus. However, they are generally rich in potash and lime. • In the Upper and Middle Ganga plain, two different types of alluvial soils have developed, viz. Khadar and Bhangar. • Khadar is the new alluvium and is deposited by floods annually, which enriches the soil by depositing fine silts. • Bhangar represents a system of older alluvium, deposited away from the flood plains. • The colour of the alluvial soils varies from light grey to ash grey. • The soil lacks nitrogen content.