Which of the following statements regarding Laterite soils of India are correct? 1. They are generally red in colour. 2. They are rich in nitrogen and potash. 3. They are well – developed is Rajasthan and UP. 4. Tapioca and cashew nuts grow well on these soils Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

Statements 1 and 4 are correct, so the answer is C. Laterite forms under alternating wet and dry tropical conditions, where heavy leaching removes silica and bases and leaves iron and aluminium oxides behind. Iron oxide gives these soils their characteristic red colour, so statement 1 is true.

• Statement 2 is wrong. Laterites are generally poor in nitrogen, potash, lime and humus. What they are rich in is iron and aluminium.
• Statement 3 is wrong. Well-developed laterites occur in the Western and Eastern Ghats, the Deccan plateau, the Rajmahal hills and the Assam-Meghalaya plateau. Rajasthan and UP are dominated by alluvial and arid soils.
• Statement 4 is correct. Despite low natural fertility, laterites suit plantation crops such as cashew, tapioca, tea and coffee, which is why they support these crops in Kerala and Karnataka.

For Mains GS-III, this links soil classification to crop zoning and to why fertilizer and organic matter inputs matter on lateritic land.

Trap: Aspirants see "red" and assume fertility, or assume that a soil common in tropical India must be nutrient-rich, and so mark option A.