Rural Innovation Projects

Unit-2 Land Resources development experience

Topic-1 Classification of land based on utility, Soils

Course Code:
Presented By:
Dr.P.Subba Rao
Professor
Management Studies
Lecture Details:
GIET Engineering College
Rural Innovation projects
MBA, 1st Semester, 2022-2023
1. Classification of land based on utility, Soils
2. Structure and importance, Properties of Soil
3. Physical and Chemical, Soil Conservation-
methods and importance.
4. Status of Rural Development in the SAARC
countries.
Land-Use Classification
• Land-use classification schemes typically address both land use and
land cover. The categories within these levels are arranged in a nested hierarchy. The
most general or aggregated classification (level I) includes broad land-use
categories, such as ‘agriculture’ or ‘urban and built-up’ land (Table 1). This level of
classification is commonly used for regional and other large-scale applications.
Within each level I class are a number of more detailed (level II) land-use and
land-cover classes. For example, the ‘urban and built-up’ class includes
‘residential,’ ‘commercial,’ and ‘industrial’ subclasses. Within each of the level II
classes, even more detailed classes (levels III and IV) can be defined and mapped.
The classes within each level are mutually exclusive and exhaustive. That is, each
location within the mapped area can be classified into one and only one class
within each level. Together these four levels of classification comprise a
hierarchical system for describing, monitoring, and predicting land-use and land-
cover change. This standardized, multilevel classification system allows spatially
explicit comparisons of land-use inventories conducted over time.
• Classifying and mapping land cover is an integral step in understanding the
Earth's biophysical systems. Data on the area and distribution of wildlife habitat
, for example, are useful in managing and mitigating development impacts on
protected and endangered species. Similarly, information on the type, area, and
configuration of buildings, roads, and other impervious land-cover facilitates
the modelling of storm-water runoff and watershed hydraulics and hydrology.
• Different land-cover surfaces reflect sunlight in distinct wavelengths of the 
electromagnetic spectrum. These spectral ‘signatures,’ when recorded as
remotely sensed images, permit the classification and mapping of individual
land-cover types. Sources of data for the classification and mapping of land
cover and land use include aerial photographs, satellite imagery, and maps of
assorted social and cultural attributes (e.g., property boundaries, population
density).
Definition of Soil
Soil can be simply defined as a mixture of small rock particles/debris and organic materials/
humus which develop on the earth surface and support growth of plants.
Soil Classification – Urvara vs Usara
In India, soil had been classified from the ancient period itself even though it was not as detail as the
modern classifications.
In the ancient period, the classification was based on only two things; whether the soil is fertile or
sterile. Thus the classification were:
Urvara [fertile]
Usara [sterile]
Soil Classification – Agencies involved
In the modern period, when men started to know about the various characteristics of soil they began to
classify soil on the basis of texture, colour, moisture etc.
When the Soil survey of India was established in 1956, they studied soils of India and their
characteristics.
The National Bureau of Soil Survey and the Land Use Planning, an institute under the control of
Indian Council of Agriculture Research did a lot of studies on Indian soil.
1. Red soil [18.5%]
2. Alluvial soil [43%]
3. Black / regur soil [15%]
4. Arid / desert soil
5. Laterite soil
6. Saline soil
7. Peaty / marshy soil
8. Forest soil
9. Sub-mountain soil
10. Snowfields
• Alluvial soil:
1. Mostly available soil in India (about 43%) which covers an area of 143 sq.km.
2. Widespread in northern plains and river valleys.
3. In peninsular-India, they are mostly found in deltas and estuaries.
4. Humus, lime and organic matters are present.
5. Highly fertile.
6. Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputhra plain, Narmada-Tapi plain etc are examples.
7. They are depositional soil – transported and deposited by rivers, streams etc.
8. Sand content decreases from west to east of the country.
9. New alluvium is termed as Khadar and old alluvium is termed as Bhangar.
10. Colour: Light Grey to Ash Grey.
11. Texture: Sandy to silty loam or clay.
12. Rich in: potash
13. Poor in: phosphorous.
14. Wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane, pulses, oilseed etc are cultivated mainly.
• Red soil:
1. Seen mainly in low rainfall area.
2. Also known as Omnibus group.
3. Porous, friable structure.
4. Absence of lime, kankar (impure calcium carbonate).
5. Deficient in: lime, phosphate, manganese, nitrogen, humus and potash.
6. Colour: Red because of Ferric oxide. The lower layer is reddish yellow or yellow.
7. Texture: Sandy to clay and loamy.
8. Wheat, cotton, pulses, tobacco, oilseeds, potato etc are cultivated.
• Black soil / regur soil:
1. Regur means cotton – best soil for cotton cultivation.
2. Most of the Deccan is occupied by Black soil.
3. Mature soil.
4. High water retaining capacity.
5. Swells and will become sticky when wet and shrink when dried.
6. Self-ploughing is a characteristic of the black soil as it develops wide cracks when dried.
7. Rich in: Iron, lime, calcium, potassium, aluminum and magnesium.
8. Deficient in: Nitrogen, Phosphorous and organic matter.
9. Colour: Deep black to light black.
10. Texture: Clayey.
• Laterite soil:
1. Name from Latin word ‘Later’ which means Brick.
2. Become so soft when wet and so hard when dried.
3. In the areas of high temperature and high rainfall.
4. Formed as a result of high leaching.
5. Lime and silica will be leached away from the soil.
6. Organic matters of the soil will be removed fast by the bacteria as it is high
temperature and humus will be taken quickly by the trees and other plants. Thus,
humus content is low.
7. Rich in: Iron and Aluminum
8. Deficient in: Nitrogen, Potash, Potassium, Lime, Humus
9. Colour: Red colour due to iron oxide.
10.Rice, Ragi, Sugarcane and Cashew nuts are cultivated mainly.
• Desert / arid soil:
1. Seen under Arid and Semi-Arid conditions.
2. Deposited mainly by wind activities.
3. High salt content.
4. Lack of moisture and Humus.
5. Kankar or Impure Calcium carbonate content is high which restricts the infiltration of water.
6. Nitrogen is insufficient and Phosphate is normal.
7. Texture: Sandy
8. Colour: Red to Brown.
• Peaty / marshy soil:
1. Areas of heavy rainfall and high humidity.
2. Growth of vegetation is very less.
3. A large quantity of dead organic matter/humus which makes the soil alkaline.
4. Heavy soil with black colour.
• Forest soil:
1. Regions of high rainfall.
2. Humus content is less and thus the soil is
acidic.
• Mountain soil:
1. In the mountain regions of the country.
2. Immature soil with low humus and acidic.
 Recap

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