Soil plays an integral role in the entire process of farming which is to provide natural eco-friendly physical and biological environmental factors for living organisms such as air, moisture, temperature, and light. The core factor of soil is to provide proper provision of food for all living species in the globe and basically made up of minerals, water, organic components, gases, and microorganisms. The major characteristics of the soil are food crop production, plant growth, aeration, habitat for animals, and also helps in better managing of water and nutrient resources in agriculture farming.
Types Of Soil In Farming
There are 6 essential types of soils in farming, which will be discussed in detail as below:
Loamy Soil is made of a true combination of sandy, silty, and clay soil and considered perfect choice for gardening cultivation. It easily absorbs and holds water with good fertility for vegetation due to the high amount of rich nutrients with easy passing through of air. There are many popular vegetables and plants species which can be easily grown with loamy soil such as Tomatoes, Carrots, Potatoes, Roses, Marigolds, and Zinnias.
Sandy Soil is a dry kind of soil with having a nutrient deficiency and fast draining capability with quick growth for plants and prevents them from root decay. It is basically composed of granular materials such as small powdery rock and mineral particles and ideal for crops such as watermelons, peaches, and peanuts. It is formed as a result of decomposition of various kinds of rocks for instance granite, limestone, shale, and quartz. It is mostly found in warm climate regions as close to the sea and absorbs more heat and less moisture.
Silty Soil is a fine combination of sand and clay and created by the chemical and physical weathering of rocks which are mainly composed of quartz and feldspar, and sedimentary rock such as silt-stone. It is considered as the highly fertile soil and can easily absorb water with a retaining capacity for a longer time. It is normally found close to the streams and rivers because of quickly carried with water with a hard crusty texture. It contains nutrients better for the cultivation of crops with better moisture for easy filling and draining purposes.
Clay Soil is composed of finely grained smallest soil particles which do not allow deep penetration of air through them. It possesses a better absorbing capacity of water with more amount of nutrients ideal for the excellent growth of plants. The clay soil is also wet and dry, the wet soil is heavy and becomes difficult to cultivate, while dry clay soil is soft and smooth and easy for plantation. There are plenty of vegetables which are best grown in clay soil such as broccoli, red and green cabbage, cauliflower, potato, pea, and bean.
Peaty Soil is made up of organic decomposition of an assemblage of plants and mostly found in natural areas such as moors, bogs, and peat-lands. It is an acidic kind of soil which is dark brown in color because of the high amount of nutrients and water. It has a capability to keep well-growing plants roots and prevents them from rain and also prevents from plants diseases.
Chalky soil is a basic soil composed of calcium carbonate, lime, and rocks. It usually requires a lot of water and fertilizer with having a difficulty of growth of plants due to a high level of alkaline properties with deficiency of iron and magnesium. It also becomes dry in summers and not considered ideal for plantation.
These Different Kinds of Soils provide a variation in terms of texture, color, and capability to hold water and nutrients for growing multiple varieties of vegetables and plants with ease and difficulty in cultivation.