LAND RESOURCE INVENTORY AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF FARM HOUSEHOLDS FOR WATERSHED PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT YADGIR RF-2 (4D5B1C2c) MICROWATERSHED Yadgir Taluk and District, Karnataka

Abstract

The land resource inventory of Yadgir Rf2 Microwatershed was conducted using village cadastral maps and IRS satellite imagery on 1:7920 scale. The false colour composites of IRS imagery were interpreted for physiography and the physiographic delineations were used as base for mapping soils. The soils were studied in several transects and a soil map was prepared with phases of soil series as mapping units. Random checks were made all over the area outside the transects to confirm and validate the soil map unit boundaries. The soil map shows the geographic distribution and extent, characteristics, classification, behavior and use potentials of the soils in the microwatershed. The present study covers an area of 322 ha in Yadgir taluk & district, Karnataka. The climate is semiarid and categorized as drought-prone with an average annual rainfall of 866 mm, of which about 652 mm is received during south-west monsoon, 138 mm during north-east and the remaining 76 mm during the rest of the year. An area of 317 ha in the microwatershed is covered by soils and 5 ha area is covered by others (habitation and water body). The salient findings from the land resource inventory are summarized briefly below.  The soils belong to 1 soil series and 1 soil phase (management units) and 1 land management unit.  The length of crop growing period is about 120-150 days starting from 1st week of June to 4th week of October.  From the master soil map, several interpretative and thematic maps like land capability, soil depth, surface soil texture, soil gravelliness, available water capacity, soil slope and soil erosion were generated.  Soil fertility status maps for macro and micronutrients were generated based on the surface soil samples collected at every 320 m grid interval.  Land suitability for growing 29 major agricultural and horticultural crops was assessed and maps showing the degree of suitability along with constraints were generated.  Entire area in the microwatershed is suitable for agriculture.  Very shallow (<25 cm) soils occur in the entire area of the microwatershed.  Sandy soils occur in the entire area of the microwatershed.  Entire area in the microwatershed is gravelly (15-35%).  Entire area is very low (<50 mm/m) in available water capacity of the microwatershed.  Entire area is under very gently sloping (1-3% slope) lands in the microwatershed.  Entire area is moderately (e2) eroded in the microwatershed  About 43 ha (13%) area is neutral (pH 6.5-7.3) and 274 ha (85%) area is alkaline in soil reaction.  The Electrical Conductivity (EC) is <2 dsm-1indicating that the soils are non-saline in the entire area of the microwatershed.  An area of 96 per cent is high (>0.75%) and 2 per cent area is medium (0.5-0.75%) in organic carbon content.  An area of about 97 per cent is medium (23-57 kg/ha) and 1 per cent of area is high (>57 kg/ha) in available phosphorus content in the microwatershed.  An area of about 88 per cent is medium (145-337 kg/ha), 4 per cent area is low (<145 kg/ha) and 7 per cent of area is high (>337 kg/ha) in available potassium content.  Available sulphur is low (<10 ppm) an area of 26 per cent and medium (10-20 ppm) in an area of 73 per cent of the microwatershed.  Available boron is low (<0.5 ppm) in an area of 50 per cent and medium (0.5-0.1 ppm) in an area of 48 per cent of the microwatershed.  Available iron is sufficient (>4.5 ppm) in an area of 94 per cent and deficient (<4.5 ppm) in an area of 4 per cent of the microwatershed.  Available manganese and copper are sufficient in all the soils of the microwatershed.  Available zinc is deficient (<0.6 ppm) in an area of 26 per cent and sufficient in an area of 72 per cent of the microwatershed.  The land suitability for 29 major crops grown in the microwatershed were assessed and the areas that are highly suitable (S1) and moderately suitable (S2) are given below. It is however to be noted that a given soil may be suitable for various crops but what specific crop to be grown may be decided by the farmer looking to his capacity to invest on various inputs, marketing infrastructure, market price and finally the demand and supply position. Land suitability for various crops in the Microwatershed Crop Suitability Area in ha (%) Crop Suitability Area in ha (%) Highly suitable (S1) Moderately suitable (S2) Highly suitable (S1) Moderately suitable (S2) Sorghum - - Guava - - Maize - - Sapota - - Bajra - - Pomegranate - - Groundnut - - Musambi - - Sunflower - - Lime - - Redgram - - Amla - - Bengal gram - - Cashew - - Cotton - - Jackfruit - - Chilli - - Jamun - - Tomato - - Custard apple - - Brinjal - - Tamarind - - Onion - - Mulberry - - Bhendi - - Marigold - - Drumstick - - Chrysanthemum - - Mango - -  Apart from the individual crop suitability, a proposed crop plan has been prepared for the identified LMUs by considering only the highly and moderately suitable lands for different crops and cropping systems with food, fodder, fibre and other horticulture crops.  Maintaining soil-health is vital for crop production and conserve soil and land resource base for maintaining ecological balance and to mitigate climate change. For this, several ameliorative measures have been suggested for these problematic soils like saline/alkali, highly eroded, sandy soils etc.,  Soil and water conservation treatment plan has been prepared that would help in identifying the sites to be treated and also the type of structures required.  As part of the greening programme, several tree species have been suggested to be planted in marginal and submarginal lands, field bunds and also in the hillocks, mounds and ridges. This would help in not only supplementing the farm income but also provide fodder and fuel and generate lot of biomass which would help in maintaining an ecological balance and also contribute to mitigating the climate change.