GPS-GIS Based Soil Fertility Maps of Shahada Tahsil of Nandurbar District (M.S.)

The GPS and GIS techniques i.e. (Global Position System and Geographical Information System) are widely utilized for delineating fertility maps of macro and micronutrients. Soil samples collected with GPS data can help in making critical decisions on nutrient management. Thematic soil fertility maps need the collection of soil samples using GPS technology. It is extremely important in agriculture for future soil nutrient monitoring in various locations/villages. Nandurbar district is located between 21.228 °N to 74.1422 °E North Latitude and East Longitude. Nandurbar district comprises six tahsils out of these the Shahada tahsil which is located between 21.5429691°N and 74.44691462 °E is considered for the study. Micronutrient depletion has become a serious limitation for soil productivity and sustainability due to the acceptance of high-yielding cultivars and intensive cropping, as well as a move toward the use of high NPK fertilizers. Latitude and Longitude were recorded by GPS instrument from soil sampling places of Shahada areas. The soils were collected at a depth of 0 to 22.5 cm from farmer’s fields. The samples collected from Shahada tahsil were 588. All the precautions were followed while processing the soil samples in the laboratory. Standard procedures, such as pH (1:2.5), electrical conductivity (EC) (1:2.5), and organic carbon in percentage, were used to analyze soil samples. The GPS-GIS based fertility maps of Shahada tahsil of Nandurbar district (M.S.) was prepared by using Arc-4 software. The cultivated soils of Shahada tahsil were alkaline in reaction. Soils of Shahada tahsil were moderately saline according to their electrical conductivity. The EC of soils ranged between 0.61-1.25 dSm^-1 with an average value of 0.98 dSm^-1. The average value of organic carbon in Shahada areas was 4.83 g kg ^-1_. At Shahada 84.5 percent of cultivated soils are highly calcareous while 15.5 percent are medium calcareous. This data and fertility maps will be helpful in planning, maintaining the fertility, productivity, and quality of growing crops.