Laterite Soil:
The name laterite soil is derived from the Latin word ‘later’ which means ‘a brick’. This soil is red in colour due to presence of iron oxide in it. When this soil becomes wet, it becomes smooth like butter and when it gets dry it becomes very hard. This soil . is formed due to the change in dry and moist climate and due to the leaching of silica. The soil is deficient in silica because silica gets leached out when water passes from this soil continuously. This soil is found in the higher area of peninsular plateau in states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, etc. The soil contains more of iron, potash and aluminium. Red soil is less fertile, but cotton, paddy, ragi, sugarcane, tea, coffee, cashew etc, can be grown after using fertilizers.
Forest Soil:
The surface of the forest land is covered with the shaded leaves of the trees. These leaves decay and form humus which in turn makes the upper part of the forest soil black. The soil is blue or red coloured while going down within the land. The soil is found in limited area only. It is found within the altitude between 3000 metres to 3100 metres in the coniferous forests of Himalayas and in Sahyadri, Eastern Ghats and the Terai region of Himalayas. Tea, coffee, spices and other crops like wheat, maize, barley, paddy, etc. are grown in forest soil.
