Assessment of soil nutrients of Khadijapur sub-watershed for enhancing crop productivity using remote sensing and GIS

Abstract

Soil samples from Thimmapura sub-watershed in northern dry zone of Karnataka were drawn at 250 m grid interval and assessed for their fertility parameters. Analytical data was interpreted and statistical parameters like range, mean standard deviation, coefficient of variation, kurtosis and skewness were calculated for each parameter. Soil fertility maps were prepared for each parameter under GIS environment using Arc GIS v 10.4. Soils were slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline with non saline to slight salinity. Majority of area in micro-watershed is low to high in Soil organic carbon content and low to medium in available phosphorous and available boron, available nitrogen was low in majority of area, available potassium was medium to high and sulphur was medium. Regarding available micronutrients, zinc and iron were deficient in more than half of the sub watershed area, whereas copper and manganese were sufficient in the soils and boron was low to medium. The mapping of nutrients by GIS technique in the sub watershed revealed that, available N, P, S, Zn,B and Fe are important soil fertility constraints.