Question

What are the characteristics of black soil?

Answer 1

Soil is a natural body made up of solids (minerals and organic matter), liquids, and gases that occurs on the land surface, takes up space and has one or both of the following characteristics: Horizons, or layers, that are distinguishable from the initial material as a result of energy and matter additions, losses, transfers, and transformations, or the ability to support rooted plants in a natural environment.

Complete answer:
Black soil is also known as cotton soil, and it is referred to as ‘Tropical Chernozems' internationally. This is India's third-largest ethnic group. This soil is made up of cretaceous lava rocks.
This soil is black because it is formed by the weathering of lava rocks and contains high levels of iron, alumina, and magnesia. Black soil is high in calcium, carbonate, and potassium, and it holds moisture well, so it is sticky when wet and cracks when dry. The volcanic eruption produces black soil, which is extremely fertile and ideal for intensive agriculture.
Listed below are the characteristics of Black soil
-They have a clayey texture and are extremely fertile.
-Calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash, and lime are abundant, but nitrogen and phosphorus are scarce.
-When wet, it is highly retentive of moisture, extremely compact, and tenacious.
-When dried, it becomes contractible and develops deep wide cracks.
-In reaction, it's calcareous and neutral to mildly alkaline, with a high carbon exchange capacity and low organic matter.
-On the uplands, it is self-plowing and less fertile than on the lowlands.
Locations where it can be found: Gujarat, Maharashtra, western Madhya Pradesh, northwestern Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand are all included in this stretch. Iron, lime, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and aluminum are abundant in the soil. Cotton, tobacco, citrus fruits, castor, and linseed can all benefit from its high water retention capacity.

Note: Red soil is a type of soil that forms in a warm, temperate, moist climate under deciduous or mixed forest and has thin organic and organic-mineral layers, as well as a black-brown leached layer that rests on an illuvium red layer. The majority of red soils are made up of crystalline rock.