There are many undecomposed rock and mineral fragments which on weathering liberate

sodium, magnesium and calcium salts and sulphurous acid. Some of the salts are transported
in solution by the rivers, which percolate in the sub-soils of the plains.
In canal irrigated areas and in areas of high sub-soil water table, the injurious salts are
transferred from below to the top soil by the capillary action as a result of evaporation in dry
season. The accumulation of these salts makes the soil infertile and renders it unfit for
agriculture.
It has been estimated that about 1.25 million hectares of land in Uttar Pradesh and 1.21
million hectares in Punjab has been affected by usar. In Gujarat, the area round the Gulf of
Khambhat is affected by the sea tides carrying salt-laden deposits. Vast areas comprising the
estuaries of the Narmada, the Tapi, the Mahi and the Sabarmati have thus become infertile.

8. Peaty and Marshy Soils:

Peaty soils originate in humid regions as a result of accumulation of large amounts of organic
matter in the soils. These soils contain considerable amount of soluble salts and 10-40 per
cent of organic matter. Soils belonging to this group are found in Kottayam and Alappuzha
districts of Kerala where it is called kari.
The Rann of Kuchchh in Gujarat is an extension of this desert. This area is covered by a
mantle of sand which inhibits soil growth. This sand has originated from the mechanical
disintegration of the ground rocks or is blown from the Indus basin and the coast by the
prevailing south-west monsoon winds. Barren sandy soils without clay factor are also
common in coastal regions of Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The desert soils consist of
aeolian sand (90 to 95 per cent) and clay (5 to 10 per cent).
Some of these soils contain high percentages of soluble salts, are alkaline with varying degree
of calcium carbonate and are poor in organic matter. Over large parts, the calcium content
increases downwards and in certain areas the subsoil has ten times calcium as compared to
that of the top soil.
The phosphate content of these soils is as high as in normal alluvial soils. Nitrogen is
originally low but its deficiency is made up to some extent by the availability of nitrogen in
the form of nitrates. Thus, the presence of phosphates and nitrates make them fertile soils
wherever moisture is available.
There is, therefore, great possibility of reclaiming these soils if proper irrigation facilities are
available. The changes in the cropping pattern in the Indira Gandhi Canal Command Area are
a living example of the utility of the desert soils. However, in large areas of desert soils, only
the drought resistant and salt tolerant crops such as barley, rape, cotton, wheat, millets, maize
and pulses are grown. Consequently, these soils support a low density of population.

7. Saline and Alkaline Soils:

These soils are found in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. In the drier parts of Bihar, Uttar
Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, there are salt-impregnated or alkaline
soils occupying 68,000 sq km of area. These soils are liable to saline and alkaline

efflorescences and are known by different names such as reh, kallar, usar, thur, rakar, karl
and chopan.