The red and yellow soil occupies about 10 per cent area of India, mostly in the south-eastern part of the Peninsular India. This area encircles the entire black soil region. The red and yellow soil is found in Tamil Nadu, parts of Karnataka, south-east Maharashtra, eastern parts of Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Jharkhand.
- Most of the red and yellow soil has been formed due to weathering of igneous and metamorphic rocks.
- The red colour is due to the high percentage of iron contents.
- The texture of the red and yellow soil varies from sandy to clayey, and the majority being loamy.
- On the uplands, the red and yellow soil is thin, poor, and porous and has loose gravel.
- In the lower areas, the soil is deep, rich, fine grained and fertile.
- This soil is rich in potash, but poor in lime, phosphate, nitrogen and humus. With proper doses of fertilizers and irrigation the red and yellow soils can give excellent yields of cotton, wheat, rice, pulses, millets, tobacco, oilseeds, etc.
