Which of the following soil types in India is characterized by self-ploughing properties, high stickiness when wet, and cracking deeply when dry?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Black cotton soil, also known as Regur, exhibits high clay content that swells significantly when wet and shrinks to form deep cracks during dry spells, creating a self-ploughing action. Alluvial and laterite soils lack this intensive shrink-swell clay mineralogy and are found in entirely different depositional or leaching environments. These soil characteristics make Regur exceptionally fertile for rainfed cotton cultivation across the Deccan plateau.