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temperature and heavy rainfall with alternate wet and dry periods. According to Polynov,
laterite soils may be the end products of weathering given sufficiently long time.
In the opinion of George Kuriyan, It is probably the end product of decomposition found in
regions of heavy rainfall, more than 200 cm Such climatic conditions promote leaching of
soil whereby lime and silica are leached away and a soil rich in oxides of iron and aluminium
compounds is left behind.
We have numerous varieties of laterite which have bauxite at one end and an indefinite
mixture of ferric oxides at the other. Almost all laterite soils are very poor in lime and
magnesia and deficient in nitrogen. Sometimes, the phosphate content may be high, probably
present in the form of iron phosphate but potash is deficient. At some places, there may be
higher content of humus.
Laterite and lateritic soils are widely spread in India and cover an area of 2.48 lakh sq km.
They are mainly found on the summits of Western Ghats at 1000 to 1500 m above mean sea
level, Eastern Ghats, the Rajamahal Hills, Vindhyas, Satpuras and Malwa Plateau.
They also occur at lower levels and in valleys in several other parts of the country. They are
well developed in south Maharashtra, parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West
Bengal, Kerala, Jharkhand, Assam and Meghalaya.
Due to intensive leaching and low base exchange capacity, typical laterite soils generally lack
fertility and are of little use for crop production. But when manured and irrigated, some
laterites and lateritics are suitable for growing plantation crops like tea, coffee, rubber,
cinchona, coconut, arecanut, etc. In low lying areas paddy is also grown.
Some of the laterite soils in Kerala, Karnataka, Chota Nagpur region of Jharkhand, Orissa
and Assam respond well to the application of fertilizers like nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium. In some areas, these soils support grazing grounds and scrub forests.
Laterite and lateritic soils have a unique distinction of providing valuable building material.
These soils can be easily cut with a spade but hardens like iron when exposed to air. Because
it is the end- product of weathering, it cannot be weathered much further and is indefinitely
durable.
India is a country of vast dimensions with varied conditions of geology, relief, climate and
vegetation. Therefore, India has a large variety of soil groups, distinctly different from one
another. Different criteria have been applied to classify Indian soils, the outstanding being
geology, relief, fertility, chemical composition and physical structure, etc.
Any classification based on any one of the aforesaid criteria has its own inherent drawback.
Even the most competent pedologist would find it difficult to present an accurate, complete,
comprehensive and generalised account of the Indian soils.
During the British rule in India, a vast body of fascinating accounts had emerged in district
gazetteers and official reports. These accounts were generally directed towards the
assessment of differential soil fertility and land revenue collection, but did not attempt
classification of soil types in the country.