Composition and Classification of Some Typical Red Soils of Western Maharashtra

Morphological characteristics of some typical profiles from the western part of Maharashtra, data on the mechanical and chemical composition of the soils of these profiles and the chemical composition of their clay soils have shown that the major process of soil formation in this area is laterization; but lateritic soils or laterites are not formed though the rainfall is quite high (250 to 425 cm). Properties of these soils compare well with those of the “red loam” subgroup of the tropical red soils. These soils, therefore, have been classified as “red loams” according to the former system of soil classification. According to the criteria described in 7th approximation system, these soils can be best fitted in the order Mollisol, suborder Udoll and great soil group Argudoll.