RAS question
Black soil (Regur soil) is most suitable for the cultivation of:
Correct answer: (B) Cotton.
Black soil, also called regur or black cotton soil, is most suitable for the cultivation of cotton.
Explanation
Black soil is black in colour, also known as regur soil, and ideal for growing cotton according to NCERT. That is why it is also called black cotton soil. Black soil has strong moisture-retention capacity and useful nutrients such as calcium, potassium and magnesium. NCERT adds that these soils are made of very fine clayey material, are well known for holding moisture, and are typical of the Deccan Trap basalt region formed from lava flows. The crop-soil match is not a loose association; cotton is the named ideal crop for regur soil.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Tea is a poor match here because it requires acidic, well-drained hill soils, not moisture-holding regur soil associated with cotton.
- (C) Wheat is associated with the alluvial soils of the northern plains, whereas black soil is ideal for cotton.
- (D) Rice grows best in alluvial soil with standing water, so it does not fit regur soil as directly as cotton does.
Concept
The Geography of India concept is the matching of major soil types with their characteristic crops. RAS often covers soils, crops and regional physical geography through direct crop-soil associations.