Soil-Site Suitability Assessment of Horticultural Crops Grown in the Ganjigatti Sub-watershed of Karnataka

The initial step in planning future agricultural land use is to establish a connection between soil characteristics and crop requirements. The objective of this study is to assess the limitations and potential of soils within the Ganjigatti sub-watershed in Karnataka and to determine their suitability for major horticultural crops grown in that sub-watershed. During the land resource inventory of the study area, twenty-one soil series were identified and mapped.Using criteria such as texture, depth, slope, erosion, gravel content and stoniness, twenty- one soil series were categorized into sixty-one mapping units. These soils were evaluated for their suitability for major horticultural crops, including chilli, tomato, rose and jasmine, in the Ganjigatti sub-watershed, located in the hilly zone (Zone 9) of Karnataka, with a focus on sustainable land use planning. The sub-watershed had predominantly moderate (S2) and marginally (S3) suitability for various crops. For chilli production, 2181 ha (50.46%) and 1571 ha (36.33%) were moderately and marginally suitable, respectively, but faced limitations such as length of the growing period, soil drainage, texture, depth, gravel content and slope. Similarly, for tomato production, 1294 ha (29.92%) and 2460 ha (56.88%) were moderately and marginally suitable, respectively, with similar limitations. For rose production, 899 ha (20.79%) and 1337 ha (30.92%) were moderately and marginally suitable, respectively, with issues related to soil drainage, texture, depth, gravel content and calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) levels. Approximately 36.43% of TGA were not suitable for rose production due to severe depth limitations. For jasmine production, 30.30% and 56.64% of TGA were moderately and marginally suitable, respectively, but faced limitations concerning average annual temperature, soil drainage, texture, depth, gravel content, CaCO₃ levels and slope.