Major Soil Groups Of India

**Statement 1 is correct:** Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red colouration, because of high iron oxide content. **Statement 2 is incorrect:** Laterite is rich in iron and aluminium but poor in nitrogen, potash, potassium, lime, and organic matter. It is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. **Statement 3 is incorrect:** Laterite soil is commonly found in areas of high altitude and heavy rainfall in Karnataka, TN, MP, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, and Meghalaya.  **Statement 4 is correct:** Plants like Cashew grow well along with Tapioca in this type of soil.

- Black soil in India is formed by the weathering of fissure volcanic rock. - Climatic conditions along with the parent rock material are the important factors for the formation of black soil. - Black soils are spread mostly across interior Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh on the Deccan lava plateau and the Malwa Plateau, where there is both moderate rainfall and underlying basaltic rock.  Brown Forest Soil: - Develops in temperate forest regions with moderate rainfall. - It is rich in organic matter, fertile, and well-drained. Granite and Schist: - Granite is a hard, igneous rock rich in quartz and feldspar, used in construction. - Schist is a metamorphic rock with flaky layers, formed under heat and pressure. Shale and Limestone - Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock, often a source of oil and natural gas. - Limestone is a sedimentary rock rich in calcium carbonate, used in cement production.