Laterite soil is found in?

• Laterite soil is mainly found in the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats.
• It is also found in the southern part of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand, Kerala, Assam, etc.
• The laterite soil is both soil and rock type and contains around 90 % of Iron, aluminum, titanium, and manganese oxides. It has a lower content of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, lime, and magnesia, which makes it less fertile. 
• It has a rusty-red colour in appearance due to its high iron oxide content.
• Laterite soil is mainly formed due to 1. Weathering 2. Leaching of parent rock 3. Repetition of wet and dry seasons.
• The favourable conditions for the formation of Laterite soil are:
• High temperature
• Heavy rainfall with alternate wet and dry periods
• It is suitable for growing plantation crops like tea, coffee, rubber, cinchona, etc with proper irrigation and the use of fertilizers.

Further Reading:

• Types of soil in India
• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

Find more related IAS Questions in the linked article. 

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