SOIL TAXONOMY

There are six categories of classification:

order(12)
Higher
suborder(63)
categories
great group(240)

subgroup(1000)
Lower family
categories
series(200-INDIA, 12000-USA)

A VAGAMI HOUSE

SOIL ORDERS SUB ORDERS AREA SPECIFIC LAND USE

FEATURE
ENTISOLS AQUENTS Himachal Pradesh Very recently Pasture, grain,
FLUENTS Punjab, Haryana, developed vegetable crop
PSAMMENTS Rajasthan mineral soil.
ARRENTS () No
ORTHENTS characteristic
horizon
Slight degree of
soil formation
INCEPTISOLS AQUEPTS All over India except Very productive Pasture,
ANTHREPTS hot & arid regions (limitation: vegetable, grain
CRYEPTS Poor drainage/ crop
USTEPTS sodicity)
XEREPTS
UDEPTS
VERTISOLS AQUERTS Madhya Pradesh, SWELL- Natural grazing,
CRYERTS Gujarat, SHRINK One (rainfed) or
XERERTS Maharashtra, Andhra property two (irrigated)
TORRERTS Pradesh, Tamil High clay content crops in a year.
USTERTS Nadu, Rajasthan Black/dark color Cotton, sorghum,
UDERTS Very productive pigeon pea,
(if managed paddy
properly)

MOLLISOLS ALBOLLS Tarai Region Of Soils of grassland Grazing

AQUOLLS Uttar Pradesh, Best agricultural Variety of crops,
RENDOLLS Uttarakhand, Kullu soils of the world vegetables
CRYOLLS Region Of Himachal
XEROLLS Pradesh, Northern
 USTOLLS Bihar ,Maharashtra
UDOLLS And Madhya
Pradesh
ARIDISOLS CRYIDS Western And North Do not support Xerophytic
SALID West India crop without vegetation
DURIDS (Rajasthan, Gujarat, irrigation Salt loving
GYPSIDS Haryana) If irrigated: vegetation
ARGIDS problem of
CALCIDS SALINIZATION
CAMBIDS or developing of
SINK- HOLES in
gypsiferous
landscapes
Brackish
groundwater
High
groundwater table
Salic, gypsic or
calcic horizon

ALFISOLS AQUALFS Andhra Pradesh Base rich, Forestry, grazing,

CRYALFS Assam, Bihar, timbered, mineral fruits, vegetables,
USTALFS Arunachal Pradesh, soil, grain crops
XERALFS H.P., Maharashtra, High base
UDALFS Karnataka, Tamil saturation
Nadu, Orissa, M.P. (>35%)
Fertile and
productive
If sodium rich:
add gypsum
SPODOSOLS AQUODS NOT REPORTED Accumulation of
CRYODS IN INDIA (very few) sesquioxides and
HUMODS humus in
ORTHODS subsurface
horizons (illuvial
horizon)
ULTISOLS AQUULTS Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Low fertility, low Agricultural and
HUMULTS Orissa base status plantation crops
UDULTS Assam, Some North- (<35%)
USTULTS Eastern Region Developed under
XERULTS high rainfall and
forest vegetation
OXISOLS AQUOX NOT REPORTED Kaolinitic & Grazing, forestry,
TORROX IN INDIA sesquioxidic rich coffee, rubber,
USTOX deep surface sugarcane,
UDOX horizon tropical fruit
PEROX crops
Chemically
degraded soils
Shifting
 cultivation
HISTOSOLS HEMISTS Kerala, Tripura, Soil without Vegetables,
FIBRISTS Andaman & Nicobar permafrost, natural
SAPRISTS Islands Organic rich vegetation
FOLISTS soils
Represent, ustic,
xeric and torric
soil moisture
regime
ANDISOLS AQUANDS Andaman & Nicobar Low bulk density
CRYANDS (More Volcanic (high content of -
TORRANDS Activity) allophane) &
XERANDS high fertility:
VITRANDS easy to cultivate
USTANDS
UDANTS
VITRANDS
GELISOLS HISTELS NOT REPORTED Not cultivated Natural
TURBLES IN INDIA, May Be Cryoturbation vegetation
ORTHELS In Higher Himalayas
With Permafrost
Conditions (J&K,
Sikkim)

SOIL ORDERS COLORS

ENTISOLS
INCEPTISOLS Dark
VERTISOLS Black/ dark
MOLLISOLS Dark
ARIDISOLS Desert/reddish desert
ALFISOLS Red soils
SPODOSOLS Wood ash color
ULTISOLS
OXISOLS Brick red color/ yellow/grey
HISTOSOLS
ANDISOLS Dark color
GELISOLS

SOIL ORDERS AND THEIR COLOR:

 SOILS AND SOIL ORDERS:

TYPES OF SOILS SOIL ORDERS IN WHICH THEY FALL

ALLUVIAL SOILS  Aridisols (with A –(B)-C profile)
 Inceptisols (with A –(B)-C profile)
 Alfisols (with A-Bt-C profile)
 Entisols (with A-C profile)
BLACK SOILS  Vertisols (DEEP)
 Inceptisols(SHALLOW)
 Entisols (SHALLOW)
RED SOILS  Alfisols (high base saturation)
 Ultisols (low base saturation)
 Entisols (very shallow & crusty soils)
 Inceptisols (moderately developed)
LATERITE AND LATERITIC SOILS  Alfisols
 Ultisols (MOSTLY)
DESERT AND ARID SOILS  Aridisols
 Entisols
FOREST AND HILLS SOILS  Inceptisols (slopes)
 Alfisols (humid)
 Ultisols (per humid)
SALT AFFECTED SOILS  Aridisols
 Inceptisols
 Alfisols
 Vertisols