Where in China are lateritic soils distributed? Introduction to the crops suitable for growing there
Where in China are lateritic soils distributed? What is suitable for growing there? Lateritic soil is a deep red soil formed from soil in tropical rainforests or monsoon forests under a tropical monsoon climate, through intense allitization and biological enrichment, and is named for its soil color resembling fired red bricks. However, the lateritic soil developed from basalt parent material in the Leizhou Peninsula and northern Hainan Island of China is dark red. The soil layer is deep, the texture is sticky and heavy, the clay particle content is as high as over 60%, and the reaction is acidic to strongly acidic.
Due to strong biological accumulation, the topsoil of lateritic soil is grayish brown, with a thickness that can exceed 15-30 cm, and an organic matter content of 8-10%. However, mineralization is also intense, and the humus formed has a relatively simple molecular structure, most of it being allitic acid type and simple forms of humic acid. Its characteristics are high dispersity, low flocculation, and unstable aggregates formed.
Distribution regions of lateritic soil
Lateritic soil is the zonal soil of the tropical rainforest or monsoon forest region at the southernmost tip of China. Lateritic soil in China is mainly distributed in Hainan Island and the Leizhou Peninsula of Guangdong Province in Haikang, the north bank of Qinzhou Bay, Suixi, Lianjiang, Xuwen and other counties, as well as the outskirts of Zhanjiang City, the low hills and valleys of southern Yunnan (such as the Xishuangbanna tropical region), and the tropical rainforest and monsoon forest of the southernmost part of Taiwan Province, China, roughly horizontally distributed on low mountains, hills, gently sloping platforms and terraces south of 22 degrees north latitude. Vertically, it is distributed below 450 m in Hainan and below 800-1000 m in southern Yunnan.
The distribution regions of lateritic soil are generally located in the tropics, with an annual average temperature of 23-26°C, an accumulated temperature above 10°C of between 7500-9500°C, and an annual average precipitation of 1500-2000 mm. Winters have little rain and much fog, summers are rainy, and it has the characteristics of a monsoon climate with high temperature and abundant rain and a relatively obvious dry season and wet season variation.
What is suitable for growing in lateritic soil
The main tree species suitable for growing in lateritic soil regions include yellow-branch wood, lychee, yellow tung, beefwood, eucalyptus, Taiwan acacia, rubber, rose myrtle, Baeckea frutescens, as well as herbaceous plants such as Eriachne pallescens and Eragrostis ferruginea.
Crops in lateritic soil regions can yield three harvests a year. It is suitable for the growth of rubber, coconut, pepper and other crops, is a major rubber-producing area, and is also an important base for China to develop tropical cash crops. Because cold waves occasionally invade in winter, this region is unfavorable for developing tropical forest trees, and at present it is still mainly subtropical fruit trees such as lychee and banana. Tropical cash crops such as coffee, cacao, pineapple, tung oil tree and sisal can also be planted.
Lateritic soil regions should be reclaimed rationally in a planned way and managed with diversified operations. In rubber tree plantations, short-term tropical crops such as Yunnan large-leaf tea, cinchona, cacao, cinnamon and Panax notoginseng can be planted, which is an important way to make full use of tropical soil resources.