The parched, sandy soils include wind-borne loess also. With irrigational facilities these soils are found to render beneficial harvests. The mountain soils embrace peat, meadow, forest and soils. The forest soils can be described as `soils in the making`.

Owing to the extensive variety of fertile soil, India is able to turn out a miscellany of crops. It is significant because this potential can make India not only self-reliant in agricultural produce, but also a leading exporter of countless agricultural products. This would, however depend on scientific management of the soil, their right conservation, evasion of their erosion and upkeep of their fertility through bio-manures, rather than depending wholly on chemical fertilisers. This is obvious from the fact that almost nine million hectares of alluvial soil and seven million hectares of black soil are presently suffering from salinity and alkalinity. Much of it is owes to water logging and unreasonable irrigation.

Perceiving the importance of soil as a priceless supply, measures have been taken to resist soil erosion, caused by running water and winds. Conservation of soil is compulsory to guarantee sustained productivity of land.