Morphological, Taxonomic and Soil Suitability Evaluation for Sustainable Crop Production Using GIS and Remote Sensing in Gudvella Block, Balangir District, Odisha State, India
D. N. Roy
Soil and Land Use Survey of India, IARI Buildings, PUSA, Delhi-110012, India.
Shaikh Mohitpasha
Soil and Land Use Survey of India, IARI Buildings, PUSA, Delhi-110012, India.
Saumen Saha
Soil and Land Use Survey of India, IARI Buildings, PUSA, Delhi-110012, India.
D. C. Sarkar
Soil and Land Use Survey of India, IARI Buildings, PUSA, Delhi-110012, India.
Manoj Kumar Singh
Soil and Land Use Survey of India, IARI Buildings, PUSA, Delhi-110012, India.
Sumit Raizada
Soil and Land Use Survey of India, IARI Buildings, PUSA, Delhi-110012, India.
Ravi Gautam
Soil and Land Use Survey of India, IARI Buildings, PUSA, Delhi-110012, India.
Monika
Soil and Land Use Survey of India, IARI Buildings, PUSA, Delhi-110012, India.
Indra Bahadur
Soil and Land Use Survey of India, IARI Buildings, PUSA, Delhi-110012, India.
R. T. Bankar
Soil and Land Use Survey of India, IARI Buildings, PUSA, Delhi-110012, India.
R. K. Setia
Soil and Land Use Survey of India, IARI Buildings, PUSA, Delhi-110012, India.
R. L. Meena
Soil and Land Use Survey of India, IARI Buildings, PUSA, Delhi-110012, India.
N. S. Gahlod
Soil and Land Use Survey of India, IARI Buildings, PUSA, Delhi-110012, India.
Y. Suresh Kumar
Soil and Land Use Survey of India, IARI Buildings, PUSA, Delhi-110012, India.
Kumar Rajeev
Soil and Land Use Survey of India, IARI Buildings, PUSA, Delhi-110012, India.
S. K. Tripathi
*
Soil and Land Use Survey of India, IARI Buildings, PUSA, Delhi-110012, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
A comprehensive soil-landscape assessment was undertaken to characterise the morphological, physicochemical and taxonomic properties of soils and to evaluate their suitability for major crops using a GIS-based approach. The study area exhibited considerable physiographic heterogeneity, comprising upper and lower pedi-plains, depressions, hillside slopes, foothill slopes, hillocks and stream-bank positions. Twenty-five representative pedons were examined for morphological and physicochemical characteristics and classified according to Soil Taxonomy. Soil depth varied from 14 to 125 cm, while textures ranged from loamy-skeletal to fine. Soil reaction ranged from strongly acidic to slightly alkaline (pH 4.97-7.85), whereas electrical conductivity (0.01-0.08 dS m-1) and exchangeable sodium percentage (0.56-8.35%) indicated negligible salinity and sodicity constraints. Organic carbon was generally low (0.05-0.50%), while CEC (3.85-37.69 cmol(p⁺) kg-1) and base saturation (21.04-72.90%) varied substantially among pedons. The soils were classified mainly as Entisols, Inceptisols and Alfisols, with Aquic, Lithic, Vertic and related intergrades reflecting contrasting soil-forming environments. Crop suitability assessment revealed marked differences among land-use types. Paddy had 68.3% of the area within the S1-S3 classes, whereas maize, potato and sugarcane each occupied approximately 86% within S2-S3. Cotton, mustard and sunflower were predominantly marginally suitable, with substantial areas classified as N1. Approximately 4% of the area was permanently unsuitable (N2). The results demonstrate that soil suitability is controlled by the interaction of soil properties and landscape processes. The integration of soil survey, taxonomy and GIS-based suitability evaluation provides a robust basis for crop-specific land-use planning, soil and water conservation and sustainable agricultural intensification.
Keywords: Soil–landscape relationship, soil morphology, soil taxonomy, land suitability, geographic information system, remote sensing, crop suitability, pedon characterisation, sustainable crop production, soil-site evaluation