Soil : Miscellaneous

Total Questions: 11

1. Which of the following crop enriches the Nitrogen content in soil? [I.A.S. (Pre) 1994]

(a) Potato
(b Sorghum
(c) Sunflower
(d) Pea

Correct Answer: (d) Pea

Solution:Legume crops enrich the soils with nitrogen content by atmospheric nitrogen fixation. Plants that contribute to nitrogen fixation include clover, soybeans, alfa-alfa, lupins, peanuts, and rooibos, etc. Thus, option (d) is correct.

2. Which one of the following crops is grown to improve the soil fertility? [R.A.S./R.T.S (PRE) 1996]

(a) Wheat
(b) Rice
(c) Black Gram (Urd)
(d) Sugarcane

Correct Answer: (c) Black Gram (Urd)

Solution:The crop of Black Gram (Urd) is grown for improving soil fertility. Occasionally, it is also used as fodder. Black gram is a warm weather crop and comes up in areas receiving an annual rainfall ranging from 600 to 1000 mm. It is mainly cultivated in a cereal-pulse cropping system primarily to conserve soil nutrients and utilize the left over soil moisture particularly, after rice cultivation. Hence, although it can be grown in all the seasons, the majority of black gram cultivation falls in either rabi or late rabi seasons particularly in peninsular India.

3. When you travel in certain parts of India, you will notice red soil. What is the main reason for this color? [I.A.S. (Pre) 2010]

(a) Abundance of magnesium
(b) Accumulated humus
(c) Presence of ferric oxides
(d) Abundance of phosphates

Correct Answer: (c) Presence of ferric oxides

Solution:Most of the red soils have come into existence due to weathering of ancient crystalline and metamorphic rocks. The red soils are short of lime, magnesium, phosphates, nitrogen and humus, but are fairly rich in potash. In their chemical composition, they are mainly siliceous and aluminous. The reason for the red color of the soil is the presence of ferric oxide.

4. The micronutrient maximum deficient in Indian soils, is: [U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (MAINS) 2004]

(a) Copper
(b) Iron
(c) Manganese
(d) Zinc

Correct Answer: (d) Zinc

Solution:Zinc is the micronutrient that is maximum deficient in Indian soils in the given options.A significant portion of Indian agricultural land is deficient in this element, impacting crop yields and potentially human nutrition due to low zinc content in crops grown on such soils. Factors like intensive cropping, excessive use of NPK fertilizers without micronutrients, and soil characteristics like high pH can contribute to zinc deficiency

5. Assertion (A): The Himalayan soils are rich in humus. [U.P. Lower Sub.(Spl) (Pre) 2004]

Reason (R) : The Himalayas have the largest area under forest cover.
Code:

(a) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false, but (R) is true.

Correct Answer: (d) (A) is false, but (R) is true.

Solution:The Himalayan soils lack humus while the Himalayas have the largest area under forest cover. Thus, Assertion (A) is false but Reason (R) is true.

6. Karewas soils, which are useful for the cultivation Zafran (a local variety of saffron), are found [64th B.P.S.C.(Pre) 2018]

(a) Kashmir Himalaya
(b) Garhwal Himalaya
(c) Nepal Himalaya
(d) Eastern Himalaya
(e) None of the above/More than one of the above

Correct Answer: (a) Kashmir Himalaya

Solution:Karewa soil is found in the Kashmir Valley and is used for growing local saffron called Zafran. These plateaus are 13,000-18,000 metre-thick deposits of alluvial soil and sediments like sandstone and mudstone. It is situated between the Pir Panjal Range and the Great Himalayan Range in Northwest India. These kinds of crews are frequent in the area west of the Jhelum River. The Karewa series, which covers roughly 2,500 square kilometres, is found on the Kashmir Valley floor, above the river alluvium, and over the folded Paleozoic-Mesozoic Kashmir Basin rocks. The Karewa sediments underpin the majority.

7. Soil water available to plants is maximum in: [53rd to 55th B.P.S.C.(Pre) 2011]

(a) Clay soil
(b) silty soil
(c) sandy soil
(d) loamy soil

Correct Answer: (a) Clay soil

Solution:Clay soil has the highest water retention capacity. Therefore soil water available to plants is maximum in it. Clay soil has less than 50% silt, 50% clay and some amount of sand. This soil slows air ventilation, due to which it sustains water.

8. Which one of the following particles has less than 0.002mm diameter? [U.P.R.O./A.R.O.(PRE) 2016]

(a) Clay
(b) Silt
(c) Fine sand
(d) None of these

Correct Answer: (a) Clay

Solution:The diameter of clay is less than 0.002 mm. Silt has a diameter of 0.002mm to 0.06mm and fine sand's diameter is 0.06mm to 2 mm.

9. Which of the following statements is not true about Matasi soil? [Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2021]

(a) This soil is usually found at altitude higher than that of Bhata soil and lower than that of Kanhar soil
(b) This soil is less fertile than Kanhar soil
(c) Iron content is high in this soil
(d) Sand content is high in this soil

Correct Answer: (a) This soil is usually found at altitude higher than that of Bhata soil and lower than that of Kanhar soil

Solution:Matasi soil is also called red-yellow soil. This soil is spread in most part of Chhattisgarh. This type of soil is spread in about 55 to 60% area of Chhattisgarh. It is found at higher altitudes and in places with more drainage. Iron oxide is the most abundant element in this soil. The presence of ferrous oxide gives it a red color, while ferric oxide gives it a yellow color. It is a prime soil for paddy use.

10. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below: [U.P.R.O./A.R.O.(Pre) 2021]

	List-I (Soil)	List-II (State)
A.	Alluvial	1. Rajasthan
B.	Black	2. Uttar Pradesh
C.	Red	3. Maharashtra
D.	Desert	4. Andhra Pradesh

Code:

	A	B	C	D
(a)	1	4	3	2
(b)	2	3	4	1
(c)	4	2	1	3
(d)	3	4	2	1

Correct Answer: (b)

Solution:The correct match is as follows:

	(Soil)	(State)
	Alluvial	Uttar Pradesh
	Black	Maharashtra
	Red	Andhra Pradesh
	Desert	Rajasthan

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