Soil Nutrient Information System (SNIS) in Middle Indo-Gangetic Plain of Bihar, India – A Tool for Land Use Planning

Abstract

In the present endeavour, an attempt has been made to develop a village level soil nutrient information system (SNIS) in Piprakothi block of East Champaran district, Bihar representing the Middle Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. Geographic information system (GIS) based grid sampling was done in the block at 2.5 ha interval and nutrient index value (NIV) of each and every grid soil samples were determined. Moderate to strong alkalinity of soils coupled with deficiency of available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), sulphur (S), zinc (Zn) and boron (B) are the main soil fertility constraints of the block. Correlation studies showed significant positive relationship of organic carbon (OC) with available N (r = 0.63**), K (r = 0.58**), S (r = 040*), Zn (r = 0.39*), Fe (r = 0.58**) and B (r = 0.34*) indicating the role of soil organic matter towards soil fertility. The NIV and pH based risk zones were developed in the block by giving weightage followed by developing decision trees. The villages namely, Chand saraia, Dhekaha, Kazipur, Majharia and Piprakothi were identified under high risk zone with constraints of low NIV, whereas, Babhnaulia, Belwatia, Jiwdhara and Serma were marked under high pH risk zones. Villages with similar sets of soil fertility characteristics were grouped using hierarchical clustering towards pertaining varying management strategies.