Application of GIS for delineation of landscape classification and soil quality management using innovative modeling approach

Abstract

Reduction in cultivable lands is increasing day by day both in quantitative and quality measures due to anthropogenic and natural activities in developing countries such as India. Repeated cultivation of crops, particularly farming of same kind of crops without proper nutrient amendments prior to the successive cultivation may cause nutrient deficiency in the soil and declines the yields. Such unscientific agricultural practices across the developing countries have ruined the yielding potential of the agricultural lands. If the landscape could be delineated and classified in different categories on the basis of the integrated soil quality indices and soil type, appropriate remediation, soil amendments and techniques of optimizing soil health may be adopted to treat the soil and amend the nutrients for effective agricultural practice to raise the yielding potential of the landscape after the estimation of nutrient budget. This research article presents the analysis of soil characteristics of different categories of agricultural land for computing integrated soil quality indices. Further the variation of integrated soil quality indices across the landscape has been interpolated using geographical information system (GIS) and again delineated into different classes on the basis of soil quality indices and taking into consideration the soil pH. The study will be useful for economic and effective management of land resources in sustainable manner through application of appropriate methods for soil treatment and improving healthy soil fertility.