Type of Soils in Himachal Pradesh | HPPSC HPAS Preparation - HPPSC HPAS (Himachal Pardesh) PDF Download

Soil in Himachal Pradesh

Soil refers to the naturally occurring, unconsolidated material on the earth's surface that forms through the interaction of parent material, relief, climate, and various physical, chemical, and biological agents. This creates a medium suitable for plant growth. The soil varies in its physical and chemical properties and its capability for supporting crops.

Soil Classifications

Soils of any region can be classified into three types:

1. Zonal Soils: These are distributed in broad altitudinal zones or belts.
2. Inter-zonal Soils: These result from special parent rocks like limestone or sandstone.
3. Azonal or Immature Soils: These are newly formed soils where soil-forming processes have not yet fully developed.

Himachal Pradesh Soil Classification

The Agriculture Department of Himachal Pradesh classifies the soils into five types based on the climate and altitude of the region. Below are the details:

1. Low Hill Soil Zone

• Elevation: Up to 900 meters.
• Characteristics: Shallow soil embedded with stones. The soil is almost neutral in reaction, with a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 10:1. Nutrient levels range from low to medium.
• Crops: The zone supports crops like rice, barley, wheat, maize, and fodder.
• Challenges: The main issue in this zone is soil leaching on the slopes.

2. Mid-Hill Soil Zone

• Elevation: Between 900 and 1500 meters.
• Characteristics: The soils in this zone are loam to clayey-loam in texture with a grayish-brown color. They are well-drained, neutral to slightly acidic, with a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 10:12. Available nitrogen and phosphate levels are medium, while potash ranges from low to medium.
• Crops: Suitable for various crops, depending on the specific location and nutrient levels.

3. High Hill Soil Zone

• Elevation: Between 1500 and 2000 meters.
• Characteristics: These soils develop on steep slopes and are well-drained. The texture ranges from silty loam to clayey loam with dark brown color. In favorable conditions, the soil depth increases, and organic matter is higher. Nitrogen availability varies from medium to high, while potash levels are medium. The soil is generally acidic to neutral.
• Challenges: Soil erosion is a significant problem in this zone due to steep slopes and other environmental factors.

4. Mountain Soil Zone

• Elevation: Between 2100-3000 meters.
• Characteristics: These soils are shallower than high hill soils, with a texture ranging from silty loam to loam and a color that varies from dark brown to light brown. The soil is slightly to moderately acidic with an organic content between 2.5 to 3.5 percent.
• Nutrient Status: Medium to high availability of nutrients, but these soils are not extensively used for agriculture due to their shallowness and other environmental factors.

5. Dry Hill Soil Zone

• Location: Found in Lahaul, Spiti, Pangi, and Kinnaur, regions with very little monsoon rainfall.
• Characteristics: These soils have a high texture and variable fertility, but they lack significant organic content and humus.
• Usage: Due to the lack of moisture and low organic matter, these soils are not particularly fertile, which limits agricultural use.

Middleton Classification of Soils

Middleton, in his report on Land Revenue Settlement, classified soils based on their irrigation and cropping potential. Below are the categories:

1. Chaih: Soils irrigated by wells.
2. Nehri I: Land irrigated by perennial gravity canals.
3. Nehri II: Land irrigated by non-perennial sources or intermittently.
4. Nad: Inundated land, typically used for growing rice.
5. Dofasli: Unirrigated land that can bear two crops a year or three in two years.
6. Ek-Fasli (Unirrigated): Land that produces only one crop a year.
7. Bahnd Banjar: Land that bears one crop every two to three years, with generally low per-acre yield.
8. Kharetar: Hayfields and pastures used for grazing livestock.

Soils Based on Development and Physicochemical Properties

The soils in Himachal Pradesh are classified into nine groups according to their development and physicochemical characteristics. These are:

1. Alluvial Soils

• Location: Found in Una (Una district), Indora (Kangra district), and Poanta (Sirmaur district).
• Characteristics: Incipient profile development, primarily in floodplain areas. Coarse-textured soils ranging from loamy sand, sandy loam to sandy clay loam. Low in organic matter and neutral in pH, with 2.0 to 4.5% calcium carbonate.
• Classification: Udifluvents and Eutrochrepts (USDA Soil Taxonomy).

2. Brown Hill Soil

• Location: Found in Nahan (Sirmaur district) and Solan (Solan district).
• Characteristics: Sandy loam to clay loam texture, neutral to slightly acidic with medium to high organic content.
• Classification: Hapludols, Hapludalfs, and Udorthents.

3. Brown Earth (Non-Calcic Brown Soils)

• Location: Parts of Hamirpur, Bilaspur, and Mandi districts, including Dehra Gopipur (Kangra district).
• Characteristics: Loamy sand to clay loam texture, neutral to slightly acidic. Low to medium organic matter.
• Classification: Eutrochrepts and Hapludalfs.

4. Brown Forest Soils

• Location: Found in forested parts of Chamba district.
• Characteristics: Moderately deep soils, sandy loam to clay loam in texture, slightly acidic to neutral.
• Classification: Hapludalf, Hapludolls, and Eutrochrepts.

5. Grey Wooded or Podzolic Soils

• Location: Found in Shimla, Kullu districts, and Karsog area (Mandi district).
• Characteristics: High organic matter with sandy loam to clay loam texture. Slightly to strongly acidic.
• Classification: Hapludolls and Hapludalfs.

6. Grey Brown Podzolic Soils

• Location: Found in parts of Kangra district and Jogindernagar (Mandi district).
• Characteristics: Distinctly acidic, heavy-textured soils (clay loam, silt loam, and silty clay).
• Classification: Paleudalf, Hapludalf, and Haplorthods.

7. Planosolic Soils

• Location: Found in Balh valley (Mandi district), Ghumarwin (Bilaspur district), Nagwain (Kullu district), and Saproon valley (Solan district).
• Characteristics: Imperfectly drained soils, medium to fine texture. Neutral in reaction, medium to high organic matter.
• Classification: Ochraqualfs, Hapludalfs, and Haplaquepts.

8. Humus and Iron Podzols

• Location: Found in Shimla, Dalhousie, and Manali regions.
• Characteristics: Dark-colored soils with a high organic content. Acidic with a spodic horizon beneath the surface.
• Classification: Based on podzolization.

9. Alpine Humus Mountain Skeletal Soils

• Location: Found in Himalayan highlands such as Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, and Pangi (Chamba district).
• Characteristics: Gravelly loamy sand to loam, high in organic content, neutral pH.
• Classification: Hapludolls, Eutrochrepts, and Udorthents.

Soil Conservation

Soil erosion is a significant problem in Himachal Pradesh, caused by physical and socio-cultural factors. To combat soil depletion and erosion, the following practices are suggested:

• Maintaining vegetation cover
• Contour ploughing
• Crop rotation
• Terracing
• Composting
• Planting cover crops
• Creating windbreaks (trees, fences)
• Pipe drainage to prevent gullying
• Damning or filling gullies with brushwood