Mapping of Soil Physicochemical Properties of Kishtwar District of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Using Geographic Information System (GIS)

Objective and Background: A study was carried out to assess and generate the prediction maps of the physicochemical properties of the soil in the Kishtwar district. The Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir covers an area of 7737 sq. km. and falls in the temperate zone of the state. It is an upland valley in the northeast corner of the Jammu region.

Methods: Soil samples were collected from the entire Kishtwar district in a stratified random manner. The digitization process and generation of maps were carried out with ArcGIS 10.0.

Results: Sandy loam was the dominant textural class in the district. Soil pH varied widely across the Kishtwar district ranging from as low as 4.87 to as high as 8.00, with a mean value of 6.73. The coefficient of variation CV (coefficient of variation) was 8.08%. Electrical Conductivity (EC) ranged from 0.03 to 9.80 dS m-1 with a mean value of 1.50 dS m-1. The variability of Electrical Conductivity (EC) was high. Organic carbon (OC) ranged from 0.20 to 2.68%, with a mean value of 1.18% with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 48.14%. Calcium carbonate went from traces to 3.60% with a mean value of 0.79% and had a high variability with a CV of 90.38%. Cation exchange capacity (CEC) ranged from 2.50 to 29.40 cmol p+/kg with a mean value of 17.14 and CV of 39.79%.

Conclusion: Almost all recorded physicochemical properties of Kishtwar district soils were conducive to crop growth. However, the major area of the district was either devoid of cultivation or difficult to cultivate because the region has undulating topography.