Which of the following statements regarding the major soil types of India is or are correct?

Introduction / Context:
Soil types form a core part of Indian physical geography and agriculture based questions. Different soils have different nutrient compositions, which affect what crops can be grown successfully. Examinations often present statements about the nutrient content of alluvial, black, and laterite soils and ask you to determine which statements are correct. This question focuses on whether these soils are rich or deficient in particular nutrients such as nitrogen, iron, lime, aluminium, and potassium.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The original question gives three statements:

• 1. Alluvial soils are rich in nitrogen content.
• 2. Black soils are rich in iron and lime but deficient in nitrogen.
• 3. Laterite soils are rich in iron and aluminium but deficient in nitrogen and potassium.

We must decide which of these statements accurately describe the nutrient characteristics of the soil types.

Concept / Approach:
We rely on standard geography and agriculture textbooks. Alluvial soils are generally considered fertile but relatively poor in nitrogen and sometimes phosphorous, which means statement 1 is not correct. Black soils, also known as regur soils, are rich in clay, lime, iron, magnesia, and alumina but are deficient in nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter, so statement 2 is correct. Laterite soils are formed under conditions of high temperature and heavy rainfall, leading to intense leaching. They are rich in iron and aluminium oxides but poor in nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, so statement 3 is also correct. Hence statements 2 and 3 are correct, while statement 1 is not.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Evaluate statement 1. Alluvial soils are indeed fertile, but they are not considered rich in nitrogen. They often require nitrogenous fertilizers for optimal crop yields. Therefore, statement 1 is incorrect. Step 2: Evaluate statement 2. Black soils contain high amounts of clay, lime, and iron. Textbooks clearly mention that they are deficient in nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter, so it is correct to say they are rich in iron and lime but deficient in nitrogen. Thus, statement 2 is correct. Step 3: Evaluate statement 3. Laterite soils are heavily leached and characterized by high iron and aluminium content. They lose basic nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, and sometimes phosphorus due to intense rainfall. So it is correct to describe them as rich in iron and aluminium but deficient in nitrogen and potassium. Therefore, statement 3 is correct. Step 4: Combine the results. Only statements 2 and 3 are correct. We must choose the option that lists 2 and 3 only.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by consulting any standard Indian geography text or agriculture reference. These sources agree that alluvial soils, though fertile, need nitrogen fertilizers because they are not naturally rich in nitrogen. Black soils are widely known as cotton soils and have good moisture retaining properties but lack nitrogen. Laterite soils occur on hill summits and plateaus in high rainfall areas, where leaching removes soluble bases and nutrients, leaving iron and aluminium oxides while depleting nitrogen and potassium. This pattern across sources confirms that the technically accurate statements are 2 and 3.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
1 and 2 only: This combination incorrectly accepts statement 1, which overstates the nitrogen richness of alluvial soils. Because statement 1 is wrong, the combination 1 and 2 cannot be correct.

3 only: This option ignores the correctness of statement 2 about black soils, which is a well documented fact in soil science for India.

1, 2 and 3: Including statement 1 again makes the combined choice wrong, as we have already established that alluvial soils are not correctly described as rich in nitrogen content.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often equate fertility with high nitrogen content and assume that because alluvial soils support intensive agriculture, they must be rich in nitrogen, leading them to accept statement 1. Another pitfall is confusion between which soil type is rich in which minerals, particularly mixing up laterite and red soils. Some candidates also forget that heavy rainfall and leaching in laterite regions remove nutrients like potassium and nitrogen, leaving only iron and aluminium oxides. Building a concise comparison table for major Indian soil types and their nutrient profiles helps to avoid such mistakes.

Final Answer:
The correct statements about the soil types are 2 and 3 only, so “2 and 3 only” is the right option.