Soil Resource Mapping and Soil Site Suitability of Major Crops in Irrigated Ecosystem of New Alluvium Plain: A Case Study from Howrah Krishi Vigyan Kendra, ICAR

Abstract

The brunt of soil resource depletion due to chemicalised agricultural practices as well as abrupt climate change has been primarily borne by the farmers who are facing economic insecurity year by year. An initiative was taken up towards resource mapping by Howrah KrishiVigyan Kendra in collaboration with Inhana Organic Research Foundation (IORF, Kolkata); with an objective to bring forth visual interpretation of soil character for specific management and better resource utilization. Along with this objective, soil- site suitability was also evaluated which was directed towards assessment of present crop potentials under existing soil character and climatic variations and suggesting the alternate options that could ensure both crop and economic security. The study was done at KrishiVigyan Kendra located in Jagatballavpur village under Jagatballavpur Block of Howrah Sadar Sub-division and falls under the New Alluvial and Old Alluvial Agro-climatic zone of West Bengal, India.

The results from soil analysis were expressed in the form of different thematic maps based on different aspects viz soil texture, pH, organic carbon, available NPKS, soil microbial biomass carbon, fluoresce in diacetate hydrolysis (FDAH), microbial quotient (qMBC), microbial metabolic quotient (qCO₂), qFDA, microbial respiration quotient(Q_R) and Soil Quality Index (SQI).

Soil- site suitability evaluation of some crops viz. paddy, wheat, maize, groundnut, sesame and mustard were taken up. The initiative was directed towards helping out the farming community who perhaps need to shift from their local soil knowledge and thereby crop suitability for their land in order to sustainably increase productivity or at least become aware of alternate crops that can possibly ensure economic security even under unpredictable climate.