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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp5 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Integrated assessment of soil quality index, moisture index, fertility variability and erosion risk using geospatial techniques in the Guida-Kantabahal micro-watershed, Odisha

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.16328
Submitted
24 June 2026
Published
16-09-2026

Abstract

To ensure sustainable agricultural productivity in rainfed landscapes, a holistic understanding of soil quality, moisture availability, nutrient constraints and erosion vulnerability is required. In this study geospatial and geostatistical techniques were used to evaluation of soil fertility, soil quality index (SQI), soil moisture index (SMI) and erosion risk in the Guida-Kantabahal micro-watershed of Deogarh district, Odisha, was studied. The principal component analysis (PCA) based minimum dataset indicated that available sulphur (S), organic carbon (OC), available potassium (K), manganese (Mn) and available nitrogen (N) were the major determinants of soil quality which revealed that 84 % area in the watershed exhibited high soil quality (0.55–0.75), while the remaining 16 % displayed moderate soil quality (0.35–0.55). Across the watershed, 66.2 % of the area was moderately acidic, while the entire area was non-saline. A medium fertility status predominated covering 67.9 % of the area for OC, 56 % for N, 95 % for available phosphorus (P) and the entire watershed (100 %) for available K and 94.6 % low in sulphur (S) status. Micronutrient assessment revealed adequate availability of Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn across most of the watershed, whereas 67 % area was deficiency in B. The SMI was between 0.42 and 0.57, signifying moderate moisture availability. Revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE)-based modelling estimated annual soil loss ranging from 0.2 to 510 t ha-1 yr-1 with an average value of 7.17 t ha-1 yr-1 while 10.36 % of the area experienced severe erosion (>100 t ha-1 yr-1). The integrated spatial assessment will help to rejuvenate the micro-watershed productivity in term of soil nutrient, moisture and soil conservation for sustainable land management.

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