What are the characteristics of red and yellow soils?

Characteristics of Red and Yellow Soils:

Formed through the long-term weathering of ancient crystalline igneous and metamorphic rocks under warm humid conditions (covers ~18.5% of India and ~37% of MP in Baghelkhand):

• Colour Genesis: Red colour is due to the wide diffusion of Ferric Iron Oxides ($Fe_2O_3$) in crystalline rocks; turns Yellow in hydrated form ($Fe_2O_3 cdot nH_2O$).
• Texture & Structure: Sandy to sandy-loam on uplands (coarse and porous) and fine clayey-loam in fertile lowlands and river valleys.
• Chemical Composition:
  • Deficient in: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Humus/Organic matter, and Lime.
  • Rich in: Potash and Iron derivatives.
• Agricultural Suitability: Ideal for rice cultivation (paddy in Baghelkhand/Balaghat), pulses, coarse millets (Kodo-Kutki), and oilseeds under irrigation.