Developing land use plan through advanced land resource inventory (LRI) technique in Chhotanagpur plateau region of Jharkhand

Land resource inventory (LRI) at 1: 10, 000 scale, using fine resolution remotely sensed data of IRS P6 LISS IV in Katkamdag block of Hazaribagh district, Jharkhand representing Chhotanagpur plateau region, India revealed 6 landforms, 11 soil series mapped in 13 soil mapping units (as phases of soil series) and 5 land management units (LMUs). Soil quality index (SQI) of LMUs revealed LMU 4 as the best land with percentage of goodness of SQI of 66.0, whereas, LMU 1 as poor land with the same as 27.9%. Priority ranking of land management indicators (LMIs) divulged coarse texture of soils, low soil organic carbon (less than 0.50%), low CEC [less than 5.0 cmol (p⁺) kg⁻¹] and Zn deficiency (less than 0.6 mg kg⁻¹) as the major constraints for crop growth in LMU 1, 2 and 3. Impact assessment of LRI based land use plan (LUP) unveiled that LRI based alternate cropping systems with best management practices enhance the average annual net returns and average annual B: C ratio of the farmers by 207% and 94%, respectively over the existing cropping system.