Assessment of Soil-site Suitability for Major Horticulture Crops in Chikkumbi-3 Micro-watershed (4D7C5O2f), Karnataka Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

Abstract

Detailed soil resource inventorization was carried out at 1:7,920 scale in Chikkumbi-3 micro watershed, savadatti taluk, Belagavi district with an objective to assess the land suitability for various horticultural crops in the watershed. The soils of Chikkumbi-3 micro-watershed are characterized and classified into 3 soil series (CLK, CKB and HNL) comprising of 5 mapping units. The soil site characteristics and climatic factors were evaluated for its suitability for major horticultural crops viz., tomato, cabbage, chilli, rose, jasmine and coconut. The analysis revealed that the soil series CLK (Chulki), CKB (Chikkumbi), and HNL (Hanchinal) are presently not suitable for growing coconut due to significant limitations in physical conditions, rooting, and moisture. However, the region is deemed moderately to marginally suitable for the cultivation of tomato, cabbage, chilli, rose and jasmine. The main limitations in all the soil series found to be texture, CaCO3 content and climatic factors. These findings serve as foundational data for identifying specific soil constraints, aiding in the development of sustainable strategies for crop production in the study area.