Land Evaluation for Site-Specific Crop Planning - A Case Study of Chincholi Khurd-1 Microwatershed, Aland Taluk, Gulbarga District, Karnataka, India

Abstract

Land evaluation is the assessment of the suitability of land for specified land uses. Land evaluation and quantitative land use systems analysis support the planning of sustainable use of land. Six soil series and their phases identified and mapped during land resource inventory were evaluated for their soil-site suitability for different crops in Chincholi Khurd-1 microwatershed, Aland Taluk, Gulbarga District, Karnataka. The soil mapping units were classified and grouped into land capability classes II, III and IV with limitations of erosion and soil characteristics. Soil-site suitability evaluation for sorghum, maize, red gram, sunflower, cotton and soybean showed that Rajnala (RNL) soil series are calcareous clay and Mahagaon (MAN) soil series are cracking clay soils and are highly suitable (S1) for sorghum, sunflower, cotton, soybean except mapping unit RNLmC2g1. They are marginally suitable (S3) for maize and moderately suitable (S2) for red gram, respectively. Novinihala (NHA) and Bhimanahalli (BHI) soil series are moderately suitable (S2) for all crops except sunflower, and Margutti (MGT) soil series with nine mapping units are not suitable (N) for all the assessed crops. Soil factors (depth, soil texture, gravelliness and slope) and soil erosion are the major limitations for cultivation of the crops in the microwatershed.