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UPSC Prelims 1980 · Agriculture · Soils
Heavy rainfall affects soil by
- (a) Increasing its acidity
- (b) Increasing its alkalinity
- (c) Reducing its fertility
- (d) None of these
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (c) Reducing its fertility
Leaching washes nutrients out, reducing fertility.
Why the others are wrong
(a) Leaching does make soils more acidic, but the main effect named here is loss of fertility.
(b) Heavy rain removes bases, so alkalinity falls.
The trap
Acidity rises too (see 1979), but the key picks the broader effect.
🔒 Heavy rain → leaching → poor, acidic soil (laterite).