Asian Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition

This study aimed to evaluate the soil site suitability of forest, barren, agricultural and horticultural land use systems within the Bada micro watershed of Haveri district, located in the Northern Transition Zone (Zone 8) of Karnataka. A base map (1:7,920 scale) integrated with satellite imagery was used to identify and excavate eight soil profiles, two from each land use system. Morphological features were recorded and horizon wise samples were analyzed for physical and chemical properties. The suitability of these land use systems for major cereal (paddy, maize, sorghum) and oilseed (groundnut, soybean, sunflower) crops was subsequently evaluated using the limitation method. This assessment considered factors such as oxygen availability to roots, nutrient availability, rooting conditions, soil toxicity and erosion as primary criteria. Crop suitability maps were generated using ArcGIS software. The findings revealed that across forest, agricultural and horticultural land use systems, crop suitability ranged from highly suitable (S1) to marginally suitable (S3). Specifically, 33.17% of the total area was classified as highly suitable (S1) for the cultivation of the sorghum crop. In contrast, 52.25% of the area was classified as marginally suitable (S3) for paddy cultivation, while 1.36% of the area was determined to be marginally suitable (S3) for the production of maize, sorghum, soybean and sunflower. These findings establish a fundamental understanding of soil constraints, providing critical insights that inform the selection of suitable crops specifically adapted to the study region.