Given below are two statements: One is labeled as Assertion (A) and the other is labeled as Reason (R) :  Assertion (A): Laterite soil is formed under the conditions of high temperature and high rainfall with alternate wet and dry periods.  Reasons (R): The laterite soils swell greatly and become sticky when wet in the rainy season and also known as 'Self plouged'.  In the light of the above Statements. choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below : 

Given below are two statements: One is labeled as Assertion (A) and the other is labeled as Reason (R) :  Assertion (A): Laterite soil is formed under the conditions of high temperature and high rainfall with alternate wet and dry periods.  Reasons (R): The laterite soils swell greatly and become sticky when wet in the rainy season and also known as 'Self plouged'.  In the light of the above Statements. choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :  Correct Answer (A) is correct but (R) is not correct

Laterite soil:

• ‘Laterite’ means brick in Latin. They harden greatly on losing moisture.
• Laterite soils are mostly the end products of weathering.
• They are formed under conditions of high temperature and heavy rainfall with alternate wet and dry periods.
• Heavy rainfall promotes leaching (nutrients get washed away by water) of soil whereby lime and silica are leached away and a soil rich in oxides of iron and aluminium compounds is left behind.
• Laterite soils are red in colour due to little clay and more gravel of red sand-stones.
• Laterite soils are rich in bauxite or ferric oxides.
• They are very poor in lime, magnesia, potash, and nitrogen.
• Sometimes, the phosphate content may be high in the form of iron phosphate.
• In wetter places, there may be a higher content of humus.
• A continuous stretch of laterite soil is found on the summits of Western Ghats at 1000 to 1500 m above mean sea level, Eastern Ghats, the Rajmahal Hills, Vindhyan, Satpuras, and Malwa Plateau.
• They also occur at lower levels and in valleys in several other parts of the country.
• They are well developed in south Maharashtra, parts of Karnataka, etc., and are widely scattered in other regions.
• Laterite soils lack fertility due to intensive leaching.
• When manured and irrigated, some laterites are suitable for growing plantation crops like tea, coffee, rubber, cinchona, coconut, areca nut, etc.
• In some areas, these soils support grazing grounds and scrub forests.

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Therefore, it is clear that (A) is correct but (R) is not correct.