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Sprawling over about 1.5 million hectares, the desert soils account for over 4.42 per cent of the total reporting area of the country. These soils are developed under the arid and semi-arid conditions and deposited mainly by wind action. They are found mainly in Rajasthan, west of the Aravallis, northern Gujarat, Saurashtra, Kachchh, western parts of Haryana, and the south-western parts of Punjab.
The desert soils are sandy to gravelly with low organic matter, low nitrogen and varying percentage of calcium carbonate. These soils contain high percentage of soluble salts, but have low moisture content and low water retaining capacity. If irrigated, they give high agricultural returns. The availability of water from the Indira-Gandhi Canal has transformed the agricultural landscape of the desert soils of western Rajasthan. These soils are mainly devoted to bajra, pulses, guar, fodder, and less water requiring crops.