A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering

Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1995

Sustainable agriculture is base to productive agriculture. Spatial referencing and managing resources data are becoming increasingly important for sustainable agriculture development. The most important is the need to preserve our land in a high state of productivity ensuring that it is not used beyond its capability. This study has analyzed agricultural production practices in kharif season in the Patam river watershed under the Balumath block of Palamu district, South Bihar, India. Geographic Information System (GIS), particularly natural resource management software of ARC/INFO, was used to arrive at partial attributes resulting in delineation of different zones for specific crops. · Primary digital database were generated from analogue maps and remotely sensed data for landuse. Landuse, soil texture, slope, pH, fertility, surface irrigation, ground water, drainage and road maps were used as input layers. Crop suitability analysis on the basis of PAO (1976) framework for land evaluation was carried out for five different major crops. Spatial extents for potential levels of mechanization were identified by integrating agricultural land, irrigation (surface and ground water) and slope layers. The GIS model for crop suitability and farm mechanization potential zoning were delineated for four kinds of suitability zones under the agricultural land, and land resources database were build. For this factor combination model was developed. The study revealed the scope for growing sustainability, a number of crops in the area, using the crop suitability model, spatial zones with various suitability were delineated for each of the selected crops and a crop suitability database was created. Application of mechanization model delineated potential spatial zones for high, medium and low in agricultural (kharif) area and mechanization potential database was created. A GIS based methodology for crop suitability has been advanced. Finally a database of land resource, crop suitability and mechanization potential of above said watershed has been created.