An assessment of the soil-site suitability for major cereal and pulse crops in the Shirur sub-watershed of Kundagol taluk, Dharwad district, Karnataka using RS and GIS

The present study assessed the soil-site suitability for major cereal and pulse crops in the Shirur sub-watershed of Kundagol taluk, Dharwad district, Karnataka, using remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS). The suitability evaluation was carried out for wheat, sorghum, maize, redgram, Bengal gram and green gram, based on FAO (1976) guidelines. The results indicated that the suitability of land was classified into suitable (S) and not suitable (N) categories, with further division into sub-classes based on various edaphic limitations such as erosion, texture, gravelliness, rooting conditions and nutrient availability. For wheat 5682 ha of the study was moderately suitable (S₂), while 433 ha was marginally suitable (S₃). Sorghum exhibited a high suitability in 4466 ha (69.27%) of the area, with marginal limitations in 433 ha. Maize had 3479 ha highly suitable, while red gram was highly suitable in 4453 ha. Bengal gram and green gram showed moderately to marginally suitable lands, with key constraints related to soil texture, nutrient availability and rooting conditions. The findings highlighted the importance of integrating RS and GIS for effective land use planning and optimizing crop productivity in the region.