Why in News?
The National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning developed India's first national-scale soil texture map, providing a uniform picture of how sand, silt and clay are distributed across the country's soils.
Why does soil texture matter?
- Soil texture — the relative share of sand, silt and clay — affects water retention, drainage, nutrient availability and crop suitability.
- A national map can support better crop planning, irrigation decisions and land-management policies.
- The work turns scattered soil observations into a consistent spatial dataset that can be used for agricultural planning.
Exam Connect
- Soil texture → proportion of sand, silt and clay
- NBSS&LUP → ICAR institute for soil survey and land-use planning