Assessment of Spatial Variability Mapping of Soil Properties and its Impacts on Agricultural Productivity using GIS Approach in Siliguri Sub-Division, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Soil surveying and mapping are extremely important in order to comprehend the characteristics of soil and what applications there are in agriculture, irrigation, urbanisation, and other land uses purposes. A major hindrance to the maximum production of the land is soil degradation brought on by inappropriate land management techniques. Geographical variability mapping of soil parameters is necessary for the agricultural productivity, food safety and environmental modelling. This research was done to identify some of the soil characteristics in the Siliguri Sub-Division. The present study had been conducted in the four blocks of Siliguri Sub-Division, located at the foot hill of the Darjeeling Himalayas in the Terai region of West Bengal, India. To comprehend the geographic variability of soil characteristics using a geospatial technique Soil pH, Phosphorus (P), Organic Carbon (OC), Nitrogen (N), Sulphur (S) and Potassium (K)were measured. To evaluate the current soil status of the area, some important chemical characteristics of the soil were identified. Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques were used to create surface maps of soil attributes, and sampling-broad analysis utilizing GPS was found to be a potentially effective tool. The goal of the study is to use an innovative method to carry out a soil analysis in a newly developed area. The production of digital maps for soil attributes allowed GIS to be used in the study to portray the laboratory results of the soil analysis. Utilizing variable technology, such digital mapping can be utilised in the research on agricultural applications. The result obtained from the research portray that the soil is acidic in nature and the pH value ranges between pH 6.1 to pH 4.5. Moreover, the presence of Nitrogen is between 0.13 to 1.90 %. Organic Carbon ranges between 2.22 to 1.47 %. The range of Potassium is between 32 ppm to 58 ppm, Phosphorus ranges between 09 to 27 ppm and sulphur content ranges between 10.4 to 32.3 ppm. The investigations will assist the development of a sustainable ecological status and proper agricultural system. Subsequently, it will also help to local government, environmentalists, LULC planners to promote any developmental plan related to agriculture and soil in the Siliguri Sub-division.