Role of soil for the development of kerala
There are many types of soils that are seen in our Kerala. The history, characteristics and the applications of such soils for the development of agricultural and industrialization in our state are included in this article.
Soil in the top most layers formed above the earth by means of deformation of rocks in to the powdered form. Soil play an important role in the development of agricultural field and there by the industrialization in Kerala. Soil helps the plant for the growth and better health. Thus soil stores the food and water needed for the growth of plants. The air which travels through the soil is respired by the plants. Soil also contains different substances like water, air, microbes, biological elements and chemicals. According to the area and the atmospheric conditions, the soil of different places in kerala has different features. In Kerala the agriculture starts in olden days before observing the soil. The soil is also one of the raw materials used for the construction purposes.Uses/construction: Making of pottery
The pottery making is introduced by the ancient kushava's. In early days the main activities of kushava's houses is the pottery making. The soil used for the pottery making is the clay which is taken out from the layer of soil under the top soil. They bring the clay from the fields and mix it with the water and there by preparing the form which is suitable for the pottery making. The pottery making starts two days after the mixing of clay with water. Clay has the ability of elasticity for the making of pottery in any shapes. The finished product from the pottery is introduced in to the oven and then baked clay potteries are then subjected to the sunlight for strengthening and finishing.Soil and house
There are several factors of soil which makes them suitable for the construction of houses for castes. The soil which has the smell of ghee is mostly applicable for Brahmins. The suitable soil for kshathriya's is the soil which has the smell of blood. The smell of rice and liquor is categorized for vyshyan's and shudhran's respectively. This is why the smell, colour, and the taste of soil is the possible factors which is observed by the ancient peoples in Kerala for construction purposes of different castes.Protection of soil
The main safety precaution for the protection of soil is to prevent the soil erosion. This is helpful for the protection of several biological substances and small microbes that are necessary for the growth of plants. By the construction of bund in fields is a main activity to prevent the overflow of water to the agricultural fields. Also the plants named ramacham is planted above the bund. It is helpful in a way to strengthen the bund.Good quality of soil for better crops
More temperature is experienced in the places like south-east slopes. The soils in such places are black in colour. Thus it absorbs more amount of heat. But the populated plants in such places protect the soil in the form of a barrier from the temperature. The soil which is more suitable for the agriculture of coconut tree is the coastal soil. But the soil suitable for the paddy is akkal. The soil which is commonly seen Thiruvanathapuram is the red soil. It contains nitrogen, phosphorous, potash, and calcium that make it a suitable soil for the growth of coconut trees. Wild soil is the type of soil which is mainly used for the agriculture of coffee, tea, rubber, cardamom etc. The main content of such soil is the decayed substances of dead plants and animals. So it is important to make sure that which soil is suitable for the crop which we wish to cultivate. Malayalees had a better knowledge about the types of soil and their importance.Soil with different colours
The colour of soil is different with respect to the areas and types. Normally top soil has darker colour than soil below the top soil. The soils which are commonly seen in the colours like black, dark brown, red, red-brown, yellow, blue mixed with green, green-gray, gray, and white. Dark black and brown soil contains more bio substances which are more suitable for the agricultural purposes. The brown and red colour in the soil shows the air circulation and moisture content in it. It is possible to change the yellow and red colour of the soil by means of adding more organic substances.organic substances in the soil
To achieve more in agriculture, it is necessary to contain a suitable amount of organic substances in the soil. There are main possible merits due to the organic substances content in the soil. The dead and decayed plants and animals are the organic materials generally seen in the soil. Also the need microbes in the soil are necessary for the decaying of several substances. The decaying is take place by means of the anaerobic respiration of microbes. The increase in the amount of organic materials in the soil is responsible for the increase of cultivation of crops.
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