Land Evaluation of Dotikol Micro-Watershed in North- Eastern Transition Zone of Karnataka

Abstract

A study was undertaken to evaluate nine soil series belonging to Dotikol micro-watershed in Kalaburagi
district in North-Eastern Transition Zone of Karnataka for sustainable land use planning. The soil series
were Chimmanboda (CMB), Chimmanchod (CMH), Chincholi (CNL), Dotikol (DTK), Hasiragundgi (HGD),
Karakmukali (KKK), Narnal (NNL), Rummanguda (RMG) and Ranapur (RNP) mapped into twenty mapping
units and soil map was generated using GIS technique. The soils were evaluated for land capability
classification, and categorized as land capability classes III, IV and VI based on limitations of erosion,
drainage and physicochemical properties. Soil-site suitability assessment reveals that lowland and midland
are moderately suitable (S2) for cultivation of field crops like sorghum, red gram, green gram, bengal gram,
black gram and soybean with moderate limitations of drainage and fertility, while upland area is marginally
suitable (S3) for cultivation of these crops. The uplands are not suitable (N) for horticultural crops like
mango, guava, sapota, custard apple and jamun, because of severe limitation of depth. Whereas, lowland
and midland, with moderate limitations of rooting depth and texture are moderately suitable (S2) for these
crops.