Which crop is most closely associated with the black soil of the Malwa plateau?
- A.Rice
- B.Soybean
- C.Jute
- D.Tea
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, soybean. The deep black soil of Malwa holds moisture through the gaps in the monsoon, which is exactly what soybean needs, and the crop spread so widely across Indore, Ujjain, Dewas and Dhar that Madhya Pradesh came to be called the soya state; the same soil also carries cotton, wheat and gram. Option A, rice, needs standing water and lighter soils and belongs to the wet eastern districts of red and yellow soil. Option C, jute, grows on the alluvium and humid heat of the Ganga and Brahmaputra delta, not in Madhya Pradesh. Option D, tea, needs hill slopes, acid soil and heavy, well spread rain, so it belongs to Assam and the Nilgiris. Hold the chain: basalt, black soil, moisture retention, soybean, Malwa.
Read the full article: Climate and Soils of Madhya Pradesh: Rainfall and Soil Types
Practice Questions
View allThe Tropic of Cancer passes through which of the following cities of Madhya Pradesh?
- A.Indore
- B.Bhopal
- C.Gwalior
- D.Rewa
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The Tropic of Cancer crosses Madhya Pradesh almost through the middle, running past Ratlam, Ujjain, Bhopal, Vidisha, Sagar, Jabalpur and Shahdol, so the state is divided nearly in half by it and more districts of Madhya Pradesh are touched by the line than in any other state.
Read the full explanation →Which soil covers the largest area of Madhya Pradesh?
- A.Alluvial soil
- B.Black soil
- C.Laterite soil
- D.Red and yellow soil
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The Deccan trap basalt underlies a very large part of the state, from the Malwa plateau through the Narmada valley to Nimar and the Satpura, and its weathering has given black soil, also called regur or cotton soil, the largest share of the state's area.
Read the full explanation →The black soil of Madhya Pradesh has been formed mainly from the weathering of which rock?
- A.Granite
- B.Sandstone
- C.Basalt of the Deccan trap
- D.Limestone
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The lava flows that spread over central and western India at the end of the Cretaceous left thick sheets of basalt, and when basalt weathers in a monsoon climate it yields a fine clay rich in iron, lime and magnesium, which is exactly the black soil of Malwa, the Narmada…
Read the full explanation →Red and yellow soil in Madhya Pradesh is found mainly in which region?
- A.Malwa plateau
- B.Narmada valley
- C.Baghelkhand and the eastern districts
- D.Nimar
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There the old crystalline rocks, gneiss and granite, lie at the surface, and the iron released by their weathering gives the soil its red colour, turning yellow where the iron is hydrated by heavier rain.
Read the full explanation →Which region of Madhya Pradesh receives the lowest average annual rainfall?
- A.Balaghat and Mandla
- B.Gwalior and Chambal
- C.Jabalpur and Mandla
- D.Betul and Chhindwara
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The reason is that the state's rain comes mostly from the Bay of Bengal branch of the monsoon, which enters from the east and weakens as it travels inland, so the farthest north-western corner is driest.
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