They are perhaps the most inherently fertile of the tropical soils because of their high nutrient content and deep, permeable structures and they are utilized widely for plantation agriculture.
Nitisols technically include a significant accumulation of clay (30 percent or more by mass and extend as much as 150 cm [5 feet] below the surface) and by a blocky aggregate structure.
Iron oxides and high water content are believed to contribute significantly in creating the soil structure.
Nitisols are also strongly influenced by biological activity, resulting in a homogenization of the upper portion of the soil profile.
These soils are related to the Alfisol and Inceptisol orders of the U.S. Soil Taxonomy and related FAO soil groups originating in tropical climates and also containing layers with clay accumulations are Acrisols and Lixisols.
2. From the classification system of the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO.3. Etymology: from Latin nitidus, "shiny".