Geospatial Approach in Assessing Agro-Climatic Suitability of Soybean in Rainfed Agro-Ecosystem

Abstract

The present study demonstrated the method- ology to assess agro-climatic suitability of the soybean crop through integration of crop suitability based on FAO framework of land evaluation and biophysical (wa- ter limited) yield potential in the rainfed agro-ecosystem. A long term climatic database (1980-2003) was pre- pared to compute decadal rainfall and temperature var- iations of 13 IMD stations in part of Madhya Pradesh state. The climatic database was used in soil water bal- ance software-BUDGET to compute crop specific length of growing period (LGP) and biophysical produc- tion potential such as water limited crop yield potential of each soil types for soybean crop. Water limited crop yieldpotentialofsoilswerefoundtobevariedfrom33to 100 and LGP ranged from 65 to 180 days in the area. FAO based land suitability was analyzed in association with the water limited yield potential for better appraisal of land potential and assess their suitability in rainfed area. FAO basedland suitability indicated2.45% area as highly suitable and 57.49 % area as moderately suitable. However, integration of water limited crop yield poten- tial with FAO based land suitability lead to agro-climatic suitability analysis indicated 17.60 % and 40.03 % area, respectively as highly suitable and moderately suitable. FAO based land evaluation showed 88.13 % of plains as moderately suitable whereas agro-climatic suitability in- dicated only 47.79 %. Agro-climatic suitability analysis revealed undulating plateau and undulating plains as most suitable for soybean crop.