Regional Centre, ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey &Land Use Planning, Hebbal, Bangalore-560024, Karnataka
Online published on 5 December, 2018.
An economic evaluation of sorghum-based cropping systems in Nalatwad micro-watershed (553 hectares of area) in Bijapur district in northern dry zone of Karnataka was carried out using land resource inventory data on 1:10000 scale for physical suitability assessment of soil series based on FAO guidelines, and integration of socio-economic data using linear programming for optimal land use. The soil map with 19 phases of six soil series belonging to subgroups of vertisols (79% of area) and vertic intergrades (21% of area) was used for economic evaluation of sorghum-based cropping systems (with sunflower, wheat and Bengal gram). The socioeconomic scenario of watershed is mainly dominated by large farmers accounting for 88.14% of the total area, and an average income of Rs 8105 from crop production alone. Average income for small and marginal farmers was less. Benefit-cost analysis of sorghum cultivation with respect to soil units shows significant difference with 2.35:1 in FmA1 to 1.83 in AmC2 but 2.60 to 1.24 for sunflower, 2.02 to 1.23 for wheat and 2.14 to 1.5 for Bengal gram in similar units. The nine optimization plans were developed and recommended to increase area under sorghum and wheat so as to minimize nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium use.
