Land Suitability Assessment for Tomato Cultivation in the Hot Semi-arid Deccan Plateau of India Using Farm-Scale Soil Information

Abstract

The farm-scale detailed soil survey (1:8,000 scale) data were used to assess land suitability assessment and mapping for tomato sites in the semi-arid Deccan Plateau region of India. Twelve soil series were identified in both upland and lowland areas. The depth of the soils in these series ranged from moderately deep (75-100 cm) to very deep (>150 cm), and they were slightly acidic to moderately alkaline (6.64 to 8.01) but not saline. Soil texture varied across soil layers, from sandy loam to clay, with a mean clay percentage ranging from 34.12 to 55.51%. The average organic carbon content of soils ranged from 0.18 to 0.89 percent. The eleven upland soil series were classified as Typic Haplustepts and Rhodic Paleustalfs, and they were moderately (S2) to marginally (S3) suitable for tomato cultivation. The lowland soils (TSD series) were marginally (S3) suitable for tomato. Site-specific crop suitability evaluation and mapping will help to improve potential suitability for tomato in the region.