Total Geographical Area Research Articles

Site Suitability Analysis For Willow Tree Plantation In Uttarakhand Using GIS

The objective of a present study was to evaluate the land of Uttarakhand for suitability of Willow. The study area located between latitude 28º43'N and 31º27'N and longitude 77º34'E and 81º02'E. and covers approximately 53,485 sq km. A suitability resulting from the overlay process of the identified theme layers has unique information of tree requirement on which the suitability is based. The identified theme layers include temperature (maximum, minimum and average temperature), precipitation and soil texture. All thematic layers with their associated attribute data were encoded in GIS database. Overlay operation was performed on these layers through the model developed using Model Builder module of ARC-view 3.2. The model was a result of the crop requirements and the range of input variables in the state. Model was applied to formulate the suitability classes. The results indicate that 38%, 29.3%, 13.2% and 19.5% area of the total geographical area of the state fall under the most suitable, suitable less suitable and not suitable categories, respectively for Willow plantation. On the basis of the results, it can be recommended that Willow can be grown on the larger area of Uttarakhand state, especially the wastelands can be utilized for cultivation of Willow, which will not only be beneficial for socio-economic point of view but also sequester large amount of the carbon from the atmosphere.

Role of Evening Colleges in Creation of New Hopes for Higher Education: A Research Based Attempt

Higher education is of vital importance for the country, as it is a powerful tool to build Knowledge based society of the 21st Century. Government has set a target of increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) from the present level of about 12% to 15% by the end of XI Five Year Plan and to 30% by the year 2020. Various new initiatives are being taken by the Government to increase the GER under the head of Human Resource Development to increase competitive advantage of the Nation worldwide. According to recent survey only 10% of the university-age population, between the ages of 22 years and 35 years, have access to higher education (“Intergenerational and Regional Differentials in Higher Education in India”, Abusalesh Shariff, Economist). Developing countries like India nearly 60 to 70 percent of the total geographical area been covered with rural population those who never concentrate on realization of real depth of educational requirements. With the intention of enrolling students especially from rural working group who cannot afford for regular day college, concept of evening colleges came into existence. Evening colleges have taken dominant role in framing the future of lakhs of students unless would not have happen. There is a great criticism in part of evening colleges that there will be no scope for personality development, it just acts as factory for production of graduates and certificates. Respondents those who have done their higher education under the net of night college been placed in prestigious position. Collaboration of private and government undertakings in evening colleges made system more active and efficient with structured future long run strategies. In present paper authors made an attempt to have detailed evaluation of distance education system supported with systematic field work. Reputed two evening colleges each from Udupi and Dakshina Kannada District have given special weightage for statistical observation over the last five year starting from 2008-09. Even group of audience with night college background is considered to draw more realistic conclusion presided with questioners. Final interpretation and conclusion has been drawn using different statistical tools. Present paper would be used by researchers, post graduate students and other readers to explore and exploit further modified research opportunities in this field.

Spatial analysis of soil parameters in Domagor-Pahuj watershed using Geostatistical methods of GIS

The water and land management is an important aspect in watershed programme increasing the productivity visa- vis sustainability of resources. Watersheds are natural hydraulic entity where water flows in a definite path to a common point. For land use planning of any watershed, soil characterization for its area is very essential and important. This would help in knowing the soil fertility status in watershed area. GIS is a tool that can be effectively used for spatial analysis of soil fertility for a desired geographical area. Domagor-Pahuj watershed is situated in Jhansi district of Bundelkhand region and located between 25o28’ to 25o31’ N latitude and 078o25’ to 078o28’ E longitude. This watershed has a total geographical area of 1 646 ha out of which 1 373 ha area is treatable and consists of three villages namely Domagor, Dikauli and Naya Khera. A total number of 103 representative soil samples were taken from Domagor-Pahuj watershed during May-June 2010. These samples were analyzed for soil parameters like pH, OC, EC, P, K, Zn, B and S. These sample points were geographically referenced and soil maps were generated using Geostatistical interpolation methods in Arc GIS 10. Ordinary and Universal Krigging methods were applied and compared on the basis of RMSE. Out of the two methods applied, ordinary Kriging was found better for prediction of soil EC, P, B and S, whereas universal Krigging was found better for prediction of soil pH, OC, K and Zn. Thus, spatial maps were generated by Ordinary and Universal Krigging methodsfor these soil parameters and hence may be used for soil fertility status and land use planning of Domagor-Pahuj watershed.

Management of common property land resource in zone IV of Rajasthan

The study was conducted during 2014 in Zone IV of Rajasthan. Availability of Common property land resource (CPLR) in Zone IV visa- vis Rajasthan has been assessed by using secondary data on fallow land other than current, cultivable wastes, permanent pastures and grazing lands, barren and uncultivable lands, forest land and human population for the year 2001-02 and 2011-12. The results of the study revealed that the percentage of common property land resource available as total geographical area was higher in zone IV (58.32) than that of Rajasthan (37.50). Around 3 per cent reduction over last decade was observed in common property land among all the districts of zone IV and Rajasthan. Per capita availability of CPLR has also declined from 0.30 to 0.23 hectare and 0.25 to 0.19 hectare in zone IV and Rajasthan, respectively, during the study period. The grazing land as a percentage of geographical area was more than one and half times in Zone IV (8.24) as compared to Rajasthan state (4.94). Overall percentage of grazing land to total geographical area in Rajasthan was negligible decreased over last decade, while reverse trend was observed in the case of Zone IV.

Needs for Policy on Landscape Restoration in India

In India, population growth and rapid industrialization concurrent with an ever increasing quest for better quality of life have resulted in a growing demand for energy and infrastructure, leading to significant impact on the country’s environment and ecology. Resources such as natural forests are particularly exploited through agricultural expansion, timber extraction, monoculture plantations, rail and road networks, hydroelectric projects, mineral exploration and mining. Apart from these, the Indian forests form the livelihood base for nearly 173,000 villages 1. The consequences of over exploitation of forest resources include depletion of natural resources, soil erosion and land degradation, lower productivity, groundwater depletion, reduction in species diversity and an overall increase in the extent of wasteland. At present, it is estimated that approximately 68.35 million hectares (m ha) of the total geographic area of our country is considered as wasteland, of which nearly 50% of the land is degraded non-forest land 2.

Biodiversity in North East India and Their Conservation

Northeast States of India is blessed with a wide range of physiographic and ecoclimatic conditions and the geographical ‘gateway’ for much of India's endemic flora as well as fauna. It is a home of 17 crop species that represent 47% of the crop species diversity available in the country. The region receives an annual average rainfall of 2000 mm accounting for about 10% (42.5 mhm) of the country's total precipitation of 420 mhm. Forest cover in the region is 14.2 million ha which is about 54.16% of total geographical area which is higher than the national average (19.39%). By and large, the region is characterized by fragility, marginality, inaccessibility, cultural heterogeneity, ethnicity and rich in biodiversity. Floristically, the region covers 43% of the total plants species that are occurring in India. The rate of endemic species percentage is also high (39%). Two primitive variety of maize, Sikkim Primitive 1 and 2 have also been reported from Sikkim. The region is rich in medicinal plants and many other rare and endangered taxa.

Carbon Stock and its Management in Soils of Bhilwara District, Rajasthan

Soil organic matter is an important component that regulates most of the soil properties and serves as an indicator for assessing soil quality and climate change phenomenon. Soil resources of Bhilwara district of Rajasthan were inventorized using the IRS 1B imageries and survey of India toposheet on 1: 50, 000 scale. The district had three physiographic units viz., Eastern plain, Aravalli and Vindhyan landscape. Out of forty soil series, 22 occurred in Eastern plain, 10 in Vindhyan and 8 in Aravalli landscape. The soils of different physiographic units were evaluated for soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and soil inorganic carbon (SIC) at 0–15, 15–30, 30–50 and 50–100 cm depths. The soils of Aravali landscape, Eastern plain and Vindhyan landscape had SOC pool to the tune of 11.3, 12.1 and 14.8 Mg ha−1 at 0-15cm depth and 6.4, 9.3 and 11.6 Mg ha−1 at 15–30 cm depth, respectively. The SIC pool in these physiographic units were 4.9, 6.1 and 3.1 Mg ha−1 at 0-15cm depth and 3.5, 10.8 and 3.1 Mg ha−1 at 15–30 cm depth, respectively. Among soil orders, Vertisols (3.69% of total geographical area, TGA) sequestered highest SOC (77.1 Mg ha−1) and SIC (148.5 Mg ha−1) up to profile depth followed by Inceptisols (68.85% of TGA) and Entisols (10.32% of TGA).

Automated Burned Area Delineation Using IRS AWiFS satellite data

Abstract. India is endowed with a rich forest cover. Over 21% of country’s area is covered by forest of varied composition and structure. Out of 67.5 million ha of Indian forests, about 55% of the forest cover is being subjected to fires each year, causing an economic loss of over 440 crores of rupees apart from other ecological effects. Studies carried out by Forest Survey of India reveals that on an average 53% forest cover of the country is prone to fires and 6.17% of the forests are prone to severe fire damage. Forest Survey of India in a countrywide study in 1995 estimated that about 1.45 million hectares of forest are affected by fire annually. According to Forest Protection Division of the Ministry of Environment and Forest (GOI), 3.73 million ha of forests are affected by fire annually in India. Karnataka is one of the southern states of India extending in between latitude 110 30' and 180 25' and longitudes 740 10' and 780 35'. As per Forest Survey of India's State of Forest Report (SFR) 2009, of the total geographic area of 191791sq.km, the state harbors 38284 sq.km of recorded forest area. Major forest types occurring in the study area are tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen, tropical moist and dry deciduous forests along with tropical scrub and dry grasslands. Typical forest fire season in the study area is from February–May with a peak during March-April every year, though sporadic fire episodes occur in other parts of the year sq.km, the state harbors 38284 sq.km of recorded forest area. Major forest types occurring in the study area are tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen, tropical moist and dry deciduous forests along with tropical scrub and dry grasslands. Significant area of the deciduous forests, scrub and grasslands is prone to recurrent forest fires every year. In this study we evaluate the feasibility of burned area mapping over a large area (Karnataka state, India) using a semi-automated detection algorithm applied to medium resolution multi spectral data from the IRS AWiFS sensor. The method is intended to be used by non-specialist users for diagnostic rapid burnt area mapping.

Monitoring land use with reference to aquaculture in Chinna Cherukuru village of Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh, India – A Remote Sensing and GIS Based Approach

Abstract. The present study focuses on the dynamics of conversion of agricultural land to aquaculture over a decade from 1995 to 2013 in Chinna Cherukuru Village (Thotapalligudur Mandal) in Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh State, India. Multi temporal satellite data from 1995's medium resolution to high resolution IRS LISS IV & Cartosat of 2013 time frame was analysed and mapped using RS & GIS techniques to monitor the dynamics of land transformation from agriculture to aquaculture (1995's) and conversion back to agriculture in 2013. It was observed that, in 1995 aquaculture was practiced to an extent of 62.35 hectares which accounts to 9.48 % of the Total Geographic Area (TGA) of the village (658.01 hectares), whereas in 2001 there is a major conversion from agricultural land to aquaculture accounting to an extent of 237.01 hectares or 36.01 % of total village area . However, thereafter there was a significant conversion back to agriculture accounting to an extent of 27.23 hectares or 4.13 % of TGA in 2013. The study tries to understand the underlying reasons for conversion back to agriculture which were due to several factors that include outbreak of diseases in aquatic fauna, natural calamities, variation in production cost / selling cost and non-availability of infrastructure facilities like cold storages etc. The present village level study on LUCC database provides an answer key question about socio-economic issues, land use and cropping pattern which form important input for environmental management.

Desertification Change Analysis in Siwalik Hills of Haryana Using Geo-informatics

Abstract. Desertification constitutes one of the international environment problems whose global importance has been recognized by the international community. Desertification is a problem that affects a number of regions of the world in the developed and developing countries. Desertification is even more closely associated with the development process insofar as it impacts on peoples livelihoods much more directly than other environmental problem. One of the central challenges of environment management in the coming years, the loss of productive land is of major concern in a world where hundreds millions of individuals already go hungry today. Availability of remote sensing data from earth observation satellite and GIS techniques has made it convenient to map and monitor land use /land cover of desertification areas. In the present study Desertification Change analysis in Panchkula district Haryana was carried out by using LISS-III satellite data of 2002 and 2011. The main objective of the study was to monitor the changes in degraded lands in the district. Onscreen digitization technique was followed to interpret the satellite data. The two dates maps were overlaid and changes in area under various degraded lands were calculated. It was observed that Total geographical area of under investigation is 1021.86 sq. km.

Development of Urban Green Belts - A Super Future for Ecological Balance, Gulbarga City, Karnataka

Green belt land is an open space around bigger cities. The main purpose of the green belt is to protect the land from urban sprawl, and maintain the designated area for forestry, agriculture as well as to provide habitat to wildlife. Green belt offers a number of benefits for population. Areas that are designated as green belt must not be built upon, however, that does not mean that no buildings can be erected in green belt. GREENBELT is a policy and land use designation used in land use/land cover planning. Green belt policy may not work well in all areas and has been a subject of criticism; however, its advantages by far outweigh its disadvantages. The Green belt land covers about 2% of total geographical area in Gulbarga city of Karnataka state. They do not solve the problem related to low forest cover in the Gulbarga District but they significantly improve air quality and help combat a number of environmental problems. During the data collection (43%) of respondents both knew that Green Belts surround city, and valued Green Belts as places to enjoy quiet recreation It is confirmed that Green Belt policy has been highly effective in eco-friendship relation. Green Belts have a role to play in achieving positive land use objectives. The concept of Green Belt also has strong support amongst the general public, even if they do not always understand the full details of the planning policy. These areas could take on an even greater significance in the face of climate.

Development of Urban Green Belts - A Super Future for Ecological Balance, Gulbarga City, Karnataka

Green belt land is an open space around bigger cities. The main purpose of the green belt is to protect the land from urban sprawl, and maintain the designated area for forestry, agriculture as well as to provide habitat to wildlife. Green belt offers a number of benefits for population. Areas that are designated as green belt must not be built upon, however, that does not mean that no buildings can be erected in green belt. GREENBELT is a policy and land use designation used in land use/land cover planning. Green belt policy may not work well in all areas and has been a subject of criticism; however, its advantages by far outweigh its disadvantages. The Green belt land covers about 2% of total geographical area in Gulbarga city of Karnataka state. They do not solve the problem related to low forest cover in the Gulbarga District but they significantly improve air quality and help combat a number of environmental problems. During the data collection (43%) of respondents both knew that Green Belts surround city, and valued Green Belts as places to enjoy quiet recreation It is confirmed that Green Belt policy has been highly effective in eco-friendship relation. Green Belts have a role to play in achieving positive land use objectives. The concept of Green Belt also has strong support amongst the general public, even if they do not always understand the full details of the planning policy. These areas could take on an even greater significance in the face of climate.

English

Flood is a major environmental problem in India as it has devastating effects on life and property. The objective of present study is to delineate and identify flood hazard and risk assessment at landscape level using Landsat satellite data from 1974-2013 in Chamoli District, Uttarakhand, India covering total geographical area of 8030 km2. The study area lies between 30-31° N latitude and 79-80° E longitude. The satellite data was ortho-rectified and the study area was extracted using district boundary. The vegetation type/land use map was prepared using on-screen visual interpretation technique. The multi-flood time series dataset was used for preparation of Digital Elevation Model. Geographical Information System was used for identification of flood prone areas which were classified with zone-wise. A flood frequency map was developed using the multi-date Landsat satellite imagery. The classified vegetation type/land use map from 1974-2013 was overlaid to find out the frequency of the flood. Flood affected areas were classified into very low, low, medium, high, very high and extremely high based on vulnerability to the potential of flood hazard. The areas were further categorized, based on the vulnerability of flood viz; extremely high (6) very high (5), high (4), medium (3), low (2) and very low (1) respectively. The study assigned the scores to each class for further determination of risk zone in various thematic layers such as slope, aspect and elevation. The incorporation of all thematic layers and flood frequency map was generated to prepare flood hazard and risk map using GIS platform. Flood frequency and flood prone areas were calculated using DEM. The vegetation type/land use map was integrated for creation of flood hazard and risk assessment. Based on this analysis the flood risk zones at different levels and intensity in the Chamoli district were prepared. This flood hazard and risk assessment maps will be useful to management and mitigate losses of lives and property from recurrent flood disasters in Chamoli District. This model can also be applied to comparable areas in Himalayas.

Global decline in suitable habitat for Angiostrongylus ( = Parastrongylus) cantonensis: the role of climate change.

Climate change is implicated in the alteration of the ranges of species worldwide. Such shifts in species distributions may introduce parasites/pathogens, hosts, and vectors associated with disease to new areas. The parasite Angiostrongylus ( = Parastrongylus) cantonensis is an invasive species that causes eosinophilic meningitis in humans and neurological abnormalities in domestic/wild animals. Although native to southeastern Asia, A. cantonensis has now been reported from more than 30 countries worldwide. Given the health risks, it is important to describe areas with potentially favorable climate for the establishment of A. cantonensis, as well as areas where this pathogen might become established in the future. We used the program Maxent to develop an ecological niche model for A. cantonensis based on 86 localities obtained from published literature. We then modeled areas of potential A. cantonensis distribution as well as areas projected to have suitable climatic conditions under four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenarios by the 2050s and the 2070s. The best model contained three bioclimatic variables: mean diurnal temperature range, minimum temperature of coldest month and precipitation of warmest quarter. Potentially suitable habitat for A. cantonensis was located worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions. Under all climate change RCP scenarios, the center of the projected distribution shifted away from the equator at a rate of 68–152 km per decade. However, the extent of areas with highly suitable habitat (>50%) declined by 10.66–15.66% by the 2050s and 13.11–16.11% by the 2070s. These results conflict with previous studies, which have generally found that the prevalence of tropical pathogens will increase during the 21st century. Moreover, it is likely that A. cantonensis will continue to expand its current range in the near future due to introductions and host expansion, whereas climate change will reduce the total geographic area of most suitable climatic conditions during the coming decades.

Geospatial assessment and monitoring of historical forest cover changes (1920-2012) in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Western Ghats, India.

Deforestation in the biosphere reserves, which are key Protected Areas has negative impacts on biodiversity, climate, carbon fluxes and livelihoods. Comprehensive study of deforestation in biosphere reserves is required to assess the impact of the management effectiveness. This article assesses the changes in forest cover in various zones and protected areas of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the first declared biosphere reserve in India which forms part of Western Ghats-a global biodiversity hotspot. In this study, we have mapped the forests from earliest available topographical maps and multi-temporal satellite data spanning from 1920's to 2012 period. Mapping of spatial extent of forest cover, vegetation types and land cover was carried out using visual interpretation technique. A grid cell of 1km × 1km was generated for time series change analysis to understand the patterns in spatial distribution of forest cover (1920-1973-1989-1999-2006-2012). The total forest area of biosphere reserve was found to be 5,806.5km(2) (93.8% of total geographical area) in 1920. Overall loss of forest cover was estimated as 1,423.6km(2) (24.5% of the total forest) with reference to 1920. Among the six Protected Areas, annual deforestation rate of >0.5 was found in Wayanad wildlife sanctuary during 1920-1973. The deforestation in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is mainly attributed to conversion of forests to plantations and agriculture along with submergence due to construction of dams during 1920 to 1989. Grid wise analysis indicates that 851 grids have undergone large-scale negative changes of >75ha of forest loss during 1920-1973 while, only 15 grids have shown >75ha loss during 1973-1989. Annual net rate of deforestation for the period of 1920 to 1973 was calculated as 0.5 followed by 0.1 for 1973 to 1989. Our analysis shows that there was large-scale deforestation before the declaration of area as biosphere reserve in 1986; however, the deforestation has drastically reduced after the declaration due to high degree of protection, thus indicating the secure future of reserve in the long term under the current forest management practices. The present work will stand as the most up-to-date assessment on the forest cover of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve with immediate applications in monitoring and management of forest biodiversity.

Cropping Systems in Some Drought-Prone Communities of the Northern Region of Ghana: Factors Affecting the Introduction of Rice

Despite the growing demand for rice in Ghana, domestic rice production remains low, resulting in the importation of about 70% of the rice consumed in Ghana. In spite of the fact that 39-47% of the 20-28% of Ghana’s total geographic area classified as inland valley wetlands is considered suitable for rice cultivation, less than 15% is presently being used. A household survey was therefore conducted in six communities, Fihini (F), Cheshegu (C), Dabogushei (D), Kpalgum (K), Zergua (Z), and Yoggu (Y), of the Tolon district in northern Ghana in order to identify factors affecting the introduction of rice into the cropping system. Maize, groundnut, rice, and yam were found to be the four major crops grown in the communities. Overall, 64% of respondents cultivate rice, but this figure is particularly low (30%) in F and Y communities. Rice is usually combined with two other major crops, most frequently maize and yam. In C, D, and K communities, about 90% of households cultivate at least, three out of the four major crops. The interview with farmers revealed that rice yield is 0.73 t/ha on average and significantly higher in K and C (1.06 t/ha and 0.93 t/ha, respectively) than in D (0.37 t/ha). The average distance from compound houses to rice and maize fields is significantly shorter in C, D, and K. Similarly, the rate of rice introduction in C, D, and K is higher than in F, Z, and Y, suggesting that distance to inland valleys may be one of the factors that influence the incorporation of rice into the cropping systems of these communities. Principal component analysis of crop yields and cattle number for the Y community revealed that rice growers tend to have higher crop productivity while cattle production is higher among non-rice growers. Within the community, the productivity of upland crops and balance between crop production and cattle production may be important factors that influence the incorporation of rice into the cropping system.

Urbanization and agricultural land loss in India: Comparing satellite estimates with census data

We examine the impacts of urbanization on agricultural land loss in India from 2001 to 2010. We combined a hierarchical classification approach with econometric time series analysis to reconstruct land-cover change histories using time series MODIS 250 m VI images composited at 16-day intervals and night time lights (NTL) data. We compared estimates of agricultural land loss using satellite data with agricultural census data. Our analysis highlights six key results. First, agricultural land loss is occurring around smaller cities more than around bigger cities. Second, from 2001 to 2010, each state lost less than 1% of its total geographical area due to agriculture to urban expansion. Third, the northeastern states experienced the least amount of agricultural land loss. Fourth, agricultural land loss is largely in states and districts which have a larger number of operational or approved SEZs. Fifth, urban conversion of agricultural land is concentrated in a few districts and states with high rates of economic growth. Sixth, agricultural land loss is predominantly in states with higher agricultural land suitability compared to other states. Although the total area of agricultural land lost to urban expansion has been relatively low, our results show that since 2006, the amount of agricultural land converted has been increasing steadily. Given that the preponderance of India's urban population growth has yet to occur, the results suggest an increase in the conversion of agricultural land going into the future.

Prioritising development planning in the Indian semi-arid Deccan using sustainable livelihood security index approach

This paper presents the status of sustainable livelihood security index (SLSI) of Karnataka, the most drought prone state in the Southern part of India. Computation of ecological security index, economic efficiency index and social equity index, and finally SLSI were carried out at the district level for the entire state, using empirical data. The selected indicators were first normalised, and then using estimated weights, indices were computed. The results indicate that the state has a very low SLSI with only 27.6% of total geographical area (TGA) and 21.7% of population being placed in the ‘sustainable’ and ‘highly sustainable’ categories (covering 10 districts) while only 34% of the TGA covering six districts falls in the ‘moderately sustainable’ category. The remaining area, confined mostly to the northern parts of the state, comprising 14 districts (51.8% of the state’s TGA) is categorised as ‘less sustainable’ and ‘very less sustainable’ exposing 44.4% (27.14 million) of state’s population to the perils of uncertain rainfall, high soil erosion rates, high social inequality and poor resource use efficiency. There is an urgent need to reorient development programmes and prioritise development investments in these vulnerable districts so that they are provided resources and opportunities to improve their ecological (more forest cover and less soil erosion), economic (higher agricultural productivity) and social (improved health and education facilities and rural infrastructure) status and achieve sustainable levels of livelihood.

Characterization and Evaluation of Natural Resources for Land Use Diversification Planning: A Case Study in a Block of Meghalaya Using RS & GIS Technique

Characterization and evaluation of land resources of Mawryngkneng block was carried out using IRS-P6 LISS III and LISS-IV data. Five major physiographic units namely structural hills, denudational hills, plateau and intermontane valley were identified. Visual interpretation of satellite data indicated that 32.2% of the total geographical area (TGA) is under dense forest followed by wastelands (28.8%), open forest (16.1%), cultivated area (13.6%), built up area (8.2%) and water body (0.9%). Ten soil series were tentatively identified and the soils belonged to 2 orders (Ultisols and Alfisols), 3 sub orders (Udult, Udalf and Humult), 6 great groups, 8 sub groups. The soils are moderately acidic, deep to very deep and texture varies from sandy clay loam to clay. The soils are very rich in organic carbon. The availability of nitrogen is medium to high and phosphorus availability is low to medium whereas potassium availability is low in the entire study area. The soils were grouped into land capability class II & III and the soils were moderately to marginally suitable for orange and marginally suitable for pine apple. An action plan with suggested land use and interventions has been prepared by using all land resource information generated under the study. The action plan includes areas for afforestation, intensive cultivation in the existing cropped areas with soil conservation measures like mulching, zero tillage etc. and orange and pine apple plantation in open scrub lands which are cultivable wastelands. This might help the farmers and the planner in better management of land resources for sustained productivity.

Coriander the Taste of Vegetables: Present and Future Prospectus for Coriander Seed Production in Southeast Rajasthan

Approximately 80% of the world total coriander seed is produced in India. This country is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of the spices. Among these coriander seed is one of the most important spices. Of which, more than 80% is produced in southeast Rajasthan. Even after introduction of advance production technologies for coriander still it is controlled by soil factors. The study was conducted in southeast Rajasthan for evaluation of soil capability to support coriander seed. The limitations considered for assessment of soil are climatic, topographic, wetness, salinity and alkalinity, soil fertility and physical limitation. The criteria of soil slope, erosion, depth, texture, available water content and length of growing period (LGP) were used for final assessment of soil suitability. Keeping these criteria, it was recorded that agroecological environment of this region and soil system environment of Baran, Bundi, Jhalawar and Kota is most suitable for cultivation of coriander seeds. The total geographical area of above four districts of Rajasthan is 2435 thousand hectares. Out of this 49 per cent is the net sown area. Considering the soil texture as one of the limiting factors, 453 thousand hectare area is suitable for coriander cultivation whereas considering the soil slope as second limiting factor 1322 thousand hectare area is suitable for coriander cultivation in above four districts of Rajasthan. The data from year the 2006–07 to 2010–11 indicated that about 200 (±50) thousand hectare area is being kept under coriander seed cultivation in Rajasthan out of this 99 per cent area is situated in southeast Rajasthan i.e. Baran, Bundi, Jhalawar and Kota. The study also indicated that the area under coriander cultivation in Chittorgarh district has increased by 160% over 2006–07 (1959 ha) and at present it crossed to 3000 hectares. If efforts are made to bring about 400 (±50) thousand hectare area under coriander seed cultivation of southeast Rajasthan with the existing productivity level of 1100kg/ha than these four districts can produce 440 thousand metric tons of coriander seeds. The present domestic consumption of coriander seed in India is below 200 thousand metric tons. If rest, 240 thousand metric tons of the produce are exported than India can earn foreign money equivalent to 12000 million considering the existing grocery store price of 50/- per kg.