Spatial Decision Support System for Identification of ...

Spatial Decision Support System for Identification of Potential Sites for Turmeric Cultivation in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of degree of

Master of Science In Remote Sensing & GIS By

Shri Ashu Negi Roll No. 1511770002

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY KUMAUN UNIVERSITY Soban Singh Jeena Campus, Almora-243601, Uttarakhand Under the supervision of

Shri Chandan Goswami, Sci./Engr. 'SD'

NORTH EASTERN SPACE APPLICATIONS CENTRE DEPARTMENT OF SPACE, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA Umiam- 793103, Meghalaya

JUNE, 2017 i

उत्तर-पर्व ू ी अंतररक्ष उपयोग केंद्र North Eastern Space Applications Centre भारत सरकार, अंतररक्ष वर्वभाग Govt. of India, Dept. of Space उमियि- 793103, िेघाऱय/ Umiam- 793103, Meghalaya

CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the dissertation report entitled “Spatial Decision Support System for Identification of Potential Sites for Turmeric Cultivation in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya” prepared by Shri Ashu Negi, Roll No. 1511770002, M.Sc. 2nd Year, Department of Geography, Soban Singh Jeena Campus, Kumaun University, Almora243601, Uttarakhand under my supervision. The work has been carried out as part of internship work in the fourth semester of M.Sc. (Remote Sensing & GIS) during 15.01.2017 to 15.06.2017 at North Eastern Space Applications Centre, Umiam, Meghalaya. I also certify that the contents of this dissertation report in full or part thereof have not been previously submitted by him for a degree/diploma of any University/Institution.

Date: Place:

चन्दन गोस्वामी/Chandan Goswami बाहरी पययवेऺक/External Supervisor

वैऻाननक/अभभयंता „एस डी‟/Sci./Engr. „SD‟

दरू भाष : 0364-2570725, फैक्स : 0364-2570043, ईमेऱ: चंदनगोस्वामी@जीमेऱ.कॉम Tel : 0364-2570725, Fax: 0364-2570043, email: [email protected] ii

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY KUMAUN UNIVERSITY Soban Singh Jeena Campus, Almora-243601, Uttarakhand

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that ASHU NEGI, Roll. No. 1511770002 has satisfactorily completed the dissertation report entitled SPATIAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM

FOR

IDENTIFICATION

OF

POTENTIAL

SITES

FOR

TURMERIC CULTIVATION IN JAINTIA HILLS OF MEGHALAYA. This is an original work carried out by him and therefore he is permitted to submit the report in partial fulfilment for the award of M.Sc. in remote sensing and GIS of university of kumaun for the academic year 2017.

Date : ............ Place : Almora

EXTERNAL EXAMINER

INTERNAL EXAMINER

Email: [email protected], Phone: 07533983533 iii

DECLARATION I hereby declare that the project report entitled “SPATIAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR TURMERIC CULTIVATION IN JAINTIA HILLS OF MEGHALAYA” has been prepared by me in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Remote Sensing and GIS is a record of my own work carried out under the guidance of Shri Chandan Goswami, Sci./Engr. 'SD' at NESAC, Umiam. To the best of my knowledge and that no part thereof has been presented for the award of any other degree, diploma, associateship, fellowship or any other similar title except where due acknowledge is made on the text.

Date : ............ Place : Almora

(Ashu Negi) M.Sc. 4th Semester Remote Sensing & GIS Department of Geography Soban Singh Jeena Campus Kumaun University Almora- 243601, Uttarakhand

iv

ACKNOWLEDGMENT A research of this kind requires resources, support and motivation. I therefore take this opportunity to acknowledge all those people who have encouraged and supported me during the entire period of this M.Sc. programme. First and foremost, I would like to thank my external supervisor Shri Chandan Goswami (Sci./Engr. SD), North Eastern Space Applications Center (NESAC) Umiam ( Meghalaya ) for his constant support and valuable guidance to carry out my dissertation work. His presence and depth of knowledge always helped like a guiding light in the labyrinth of obstacles which came during the course of this project. I would like to offer my heartiest thanks to Shri P.L.N. Raju, Director, NESAC for allowing me to carry out my dissertation work at NESAC and use the facilities of NESAC. Special thanks to Dr J. S. Rawat (HOD), Dr Vikram Ranga and Er. Pawan Kumar (Faculty) for strongly recommending me to NESAC. Their concerns, comments, suggestions and constructive criticisms for my work throughout this thesis phase have helped me to carry out my work properly. It is a matter of pride and privilege for me to place on record my deepest thanks to my parents for their emotional and financial support during the entire period. Last but not the least, I would like to thank all the scientists/ research scientists/ junior research fellows and my fellow students from NESAC who have contributed to this project directly or indirectly.

v

TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ................................................................... viiError! Bookmark not defined. LIST OF FIGURES.................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.x ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. x

CHAPTER-I............................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1. Introduction........................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. 1.1. Research Questions .................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1.2. Objectives ................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

CHAPTER-II.............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. 2. Review of Literature ........................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.1. Use of satellite imagery for natural resources mapping & monitoring Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.2. Remote Sensing & Geographical Information System for site suitability studies . Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.3. Site suitability for turmeric ........................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.4. Spatial Decision Support System for site suitability ..... Error! Bookmark not defined.

CHAPTER-III............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. 3. Materials and Methods ...................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.1. Study area.................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.2. Identification of tree clad areas and shifting cultivated areas .....Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.2.1. Visual image interpretation technique ............................................................... 8 3.2.2. Identification of tree clad areas (open) ............................................................. .9 3.2.3. Identification of shifting cultivated areas (abandoned & current) ...................... .9 3.3. Extraction of Soil Attributes ......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.4. Delineation of elevation, slope and aspect .................. Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.5. Generation Spatial Database of Climatic Data ......................................................... 11 3.6. Spatial decision support system for identification of potential sites for turmeric .. Error! Bookmark not defined. vi

CHAPTER-IV ............................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. 4. Results and Discussion ..................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.1. Land Use Land Cover (LULC) ..................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.2. Soil properties ............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.2.1. Land Capability Classes (LCC) .......................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.2.2. Soil pH ............................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.2.3. Soil drainage ..................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.2.4. Available soil phosphorus .................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.2.5. Available soil potassium .................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3. Physiographic parameters ........................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.1. Elevation of Jaintia Hills ..................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.2. Slope of Jaintia Hills .......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.3. Aspect of Jaintia Hills......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.4. Climatic parameters .................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.4.1. Temperature of Jaintia Hills ............................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.4.2. Rainfall of Jaintia Hills ........................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.5. Potential sites for turmeric cultivation .......................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

CHAPTER-V ............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. 5. Summary and Conclusions ............................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................... 41 APPENDIX-I........................................................................................................................... 43 APPENDIX-II.......................................................................................................................... 45 APPENDIX-III......................................................................................................................... 46

vii

LIST OF TABLE

Table 3.1. Specifications of Resourcesat-2 LISS-III sensor ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.3 Criteria for Land Capability Classification .............. Error! Bookmark not defined.0 Table 3.2 Specifications of CARTO-DEM ................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.4 Suitability criteria for turmeric crop........................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.5 Rank and weightage assigend to different layers ..... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 4.1 Area under different LULC classes in Jaintia Hills ... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 4.2 Area under different LCC suitable for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills ......... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 4.3 Area under different suitability classes based on soil acidity ................................. 20 Table 4.4 Area under different suitability classes based on soil drainage ..... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 4.5 Area under different suitability classes based on available P2O5... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 4.6 Area under different suitability classes based on available K2O .... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 4.7 Area under different suitability classes based on elevation .....Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 4.8 Area under different suitability classes based on slope......................................... 29 Table 4.9 Area under different suitability classes based on aspect ....................................... 31 Table 4.10 Area under different suitability classes based on temperature Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 4.11 Suitable areas for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills Error! Bookmark not defined.

viii

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3.1. Study area (Jainitia Hills of Meghalaya)................................................................ 7 Figure 3.2. Flow chart showing the overall methodology ...................................................... 15 Figure 4.1. Land use land over map of Jaintia Hills ................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.2. Percentage of area under different LULC classes in Jaintia Hills Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.3. Land capability classification map of Jaintia Hills ... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.4. Percentage of area under different land capability classes in Jaintia Hills .... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.5. Soil acidity map of Jaintia Hills ........................................................................... 19 Figure 4.6. Percentage of area under different suitability classes based on soil acidity .. Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.7. Soil acidity suitability map for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.8. Soil drainage map of Jaintia Hills........................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.9. Percentage of area under different suitability classes based on soil drainage .................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.10. Soil drainage suitability map for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills ............... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.11. Available P2O5 map of Jaintia Hills ........................ Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.12. Percentage of area under different suitability classes based on available P2O5 .................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.13. Available P2O5 suitability map for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills ............ Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.14. Available K2O map of Jaintia Hills......................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.15. Percentage of area under different suitability classes based on available K2O. .................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.16. Available K2O suitability map for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills ............. Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.17. Elevation map of Jaintia Hills ................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

ix

Figure 4.18. Percentage of area under different suitability classes based on elevation .... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.19. Elevation suitability map for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills ........................... 28 Figure 4.20. Slope map of Jaintia Hills ................................................................................... 29 Figure 4.21. Percentage of area under different suitability classes based on slope ................ 30 Figure 4.22. Slope suitability map for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills ..Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.23. Aspect map of Jaintia Hills .................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.24. Percentage of area under different suitability classes based on aspect ........ Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.25. Aspect suitability map for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills .Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.26. Temperature map of Jaintia Hills ........................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.27. Percentage of area under different suitability classes based on temperature Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.28. Rainfall map of Jaintia Hills ................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.29. Potential sites for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills .............Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4.30. Percentage of area under different suitability classes for turmeric cultivation Error! Bookmark not defined.

ABSTRACT The geo-climatic conditions of Meghalaya is providing excellent conditions for growing different horticulture crops including fruits, vegetables, spices, plantation crops, medicinal and aromatic plants of high economic values. The Lakadong variety of turmeric is indigenous to the Shangpong area of Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya and is considered as one of the best quality of turmeric with curcumin content as high as 7.5%. However, the area under turmeric in Jaintia Hills is very less and therefore an attempt was made to identify of potential sites for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya using geo-spatial techniques. Multispectral and multi-temporal satellite imagery of Resourcesat-2 Linear Imaging Self Scanning Sensor-III (LISS-III) for the period of 2015-2016 was used for identification of major Land Use Land Cover (LULC) classes following visual image interpretation technique. Again, detailed soil map on 1:50000 scale was used for extracting required soil parameters viz. texture, erosion, depth, soil drainage, pH, available phosphorus and available potassium. On the other hand, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) generated from stereo pair of IRS-P5 CARTOSAT-1 satellite imagery (CARTO-DEM) was used for delineating physiographic x

parameters viz. elevation, slope and aspect. Automatic Weather Station (AWS) data

for the

period of 2009-2010 was used for generating spatial database of climatic parameters viz. average annual rainfall and mean temperature by using Interpolation technique. For potential site selection for turmeric cultivation, climatic, physiographic, soil, land use land cover and ancillary data were integrated in GIS environment. Ranked weighted overlay technique was used for identification of potential sites for turmeric. Eight major LULC classes were identified viz. agricultural lands, built up areas, forest lands, tree clad area-open, shifting cultivation-current, shifting cultivation-abandoned, wastelands and water bodies. Tree clad area-open, shifting cultivation-current and shifting cultivation-abandoned areas were considered for identification of potential sites for turmeric cultivation. Four Land Capability Classes (LCC) were found viz. class II (9%), CLASS III (25%), class IV (56%) and class VI (6%). Class II was considered as highly suitable, class III was considered as moderately suitable, class IV was considered as marginally suitable and class VI was considered as not suitable for turmeric cultivation. Again, 58.8% areas were found to be highly suitable, 41% moderately suitable and 0.2% marginally suitable based on elevation. Similarly, 6% each was found to be highly and moderately suitable and 13% marginally suitable with respect to slope. On the other hand, 34% area was found to be highly suitable, 12% moderately suitable and 49% marginally suitable based on aspect. The mean temperature varied from 170C to 230C and 54% of TGA was highly suitable and 46% was moderately suitable for turmeric cultivation. Average annual rainfall was found to vary from 1533 mm to 4355 mm and entire Jaintia Hills was found to be highly suitable for turmeric cultivation based on average annual rainfall. For potential site selection, climatic, physiographic, soil, land use land cover and ancillary data were integrated in GIS environment. Ranked weighed overlay technique was used for identification of potential sites. This has been observed that 29534.47 ha were highly suitable (18%), 49590.75 ha were moderately suitable (31%) and 52785.47 ha were marginally suitable (32%). However, 30353.02 ha area were found to be not suitable (19%) for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills.

Key words: Jaintia Hills, land capability class, multi-criteria, potential sites, turmeric, ranked weighed overlay

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CHAPTER-I 1. Introduction Horticultural sector plays the major role in the growth of Indian agriculture. In India 90% of horticultural production comes from fruits and vegetables.

India is the second largest

producer of fruits and vegetables in the world and leader in several horticultural crops viz. mango, banana, papaya, cashew nut, areca nut, potato, and okra (DACFW, 2015). In India, total area under horticultural crops is 23.69 million hectares having a production of 268.8 million tonnes (Horticulture Crops Assessment). Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is an important spice and it has been used in India as spice and well as medicine since time immemorial. Turmeric (Family: Zingiberaceae) is used as condiment, drug, dye, cosmetic and is also used in religious ceremonies. Due to premium in the market, industrial importance and export potential, cultivation of turmeric is gaining more importance in recent years. India is the largest producer and exporter of turmeric in the world. In India, it occupies nearly 1.55 million hectares (which is 6% of the total area under spices) with average productivity of 3533 kg/ha (Mandal et al., 2008). Important turmeric cultivating states in India include Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Karnataka, West Bengal, Gujarat, Meghalaya and Assam. Andhra Pradesh is the highest producer which occupies 38% of the total area under spices and 58.5% of the total spices production. The country produces 1.23 million tonnes of turmeric from an area of 0.23 million hectares (Jayashree et al., 2015). Traditionally, there are four areas of horticulture i.e. pomology (cultivation of fruits), olericulture (cultivation of vegetables), floriculture (cultivation of flowers & ornamental plants) and post-harvest technology (management of produce after harvest). In recent years, some other crops like mushroom, bamboo, tea, coffee and rubber are also included under horticultural crops and scope of above fields have been expanded to include them eventually (Chadha and Choudhary, 2007). The economy of Meghalaya is basically rural based and agriculture plays the major role. About 81% population of Meghalaya is dependent on agriculture. The state is deficit in food grains by 1.22 lakh tonnes annually to feed a population of 2.3 million. Farmers use to grow fruit crops viz. banana, orange, lemon, pineapple, guava, litchi, banana, jackfruits, plum, pear, peach, arecanut, betelvine etc.; spices crops viz. ginger, turmeric, black pepper, bayleaf etc., vegetable crops viz. potato, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, pea, beans, tepioca etc.; shortstaple cotton, jute, mesta, mustard, rapeseed etc. besides the major food crops i.e. rice and maize. The state has also achieved success in the cultivation of non-traditional crops like tea, cashew nut, oilseeds, tomato, mushroom, wheat, pepper, coffee, rubber etc (DOA, 2006; Rao, 1

2016). There are two major farming systems prevailing in the state; one is shifting cultivation (jhum) and the other is terrace cultivation (bun). In bun cultivation, a series of beds are prepared along hill slopes using manual tools without any use of draft animal or mechanical power. All the cultural operations are done manually by using traditionally tools. (Ghadge et al., 2001). The farmers are using bamboo drip irrigation practices due to undulating topography and hilly terrain. For increasing in production of food grains the farmers of Meghalaya are using modern methods of farming like chemical fertilizers, plant protection measures and introduction of High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds of paddy, wheat, maize etc. The geo-climatic conditions of Meghalaya is providing excellent conditions for growing different horticultural crops including fruits, vegetables, spices, plantation crops, medicinal and aromatic plants of high economic values. There are some fruits such as mandarin orange, pineapple, banana, lemon, guava, pear, plum etc. which are grown all over the State. The high altitude places of the state provide good opportunity to grow vegetables including potato and cole crops during the rainy season. Tuber and root crops such as sweet potato and tapioca, spices crops such as turmeric, ginger, chillies, etc. are grown abundantly in the state. There are many varieties of turmeric in the country and are mostly known by the name of locality where they are cultivated. Some popular cultivars are Duggirala, Tekkurpet, Sugandham, Amalapuram, Erode local, Salem, Alleppey, Moovattupuzha and Lakadong. A wide range of spices variability has been found in ginger and turmeric. Lakadong; the local variety of turmeric is grown in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya. The Lakadong variety of turmeric is indigenous to the Shangpong area of Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya and is considered as one of the best quality of turmeric with curcumin content as high as 7.5%. The variety has high market value; however, it has low yield potential because of some diseases like leaf spot and leaf blotch which limits its further expansion. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Research Complex of North Eastern Hill Region has developed a promising turmeric variety named as Megha Turmeric-1 to overcome these problems. This variety is suitable for mid hills condition, takes 300 to 315 days for crop maturity. The average yield of rhizome per clump is 350-425 g with yield potential of 270 q/ha. In addition to this, it contains 16.37% dry matter, 6.8% curcumin and 5.5% essential oil and highly tolerant to leaf spot and leaf blotch (Deshmukh et al., 2017). Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) play a major role in agricultural studies. Indian remote sensing satellite imageries of Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS), Linear Imaging Self Scanning Sensor (LISS)-III and LISS-IV were found to be very useful for land use land cover mapping, wastelands change analysis, land degradation 2

mapping, soil resource mapping, crop acreage estimation and land use planning etc. Again, stereo imagery of cartosat-1 satellite sensor has found to be very useful for studying elevation, slope, aspect etc. The integration of remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS) technique is very useful for site suitability studies. Its allows integration of climatic data, topographical information, soil information, cropping system, land use land cover etc. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in collaboration with Central Silk Board (CBS), Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India has implemented a project on "Application of RS & GIS in Sericulture Development" for identification of potential sites for sericulture development in 108 districts under 24 states of India (Handique et al., 2015). Again, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in collaboration with Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC), Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & farmers' Welfare has also implemented a national programme on Coordinated Horticulture Assessment & Management using Geo-informatics (CHAMAN) for assessment of area under major horticultural crops of India (SAC, 2016). There is a scope for identification of potential sites for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya.

1.1. Research Questions 1. What are the suitability criteria for growing turmeric in Jaintia hills? 2. Is there any additional area in Jaintia hills for expansion of turmeric?

1.2. Objectives 1. Identification of tree clad areas & shifting cultivated areas of Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya. 2. Delineation of elevation, slope & aspect of Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya. 3. Land capability classification of Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya. 4. To generate spatial distribution of rainfall & temperature in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya. 5. Identification of potential sites for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya.

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CHAPTER-II 2. Review of Literature 2.1. Use of satellite imagery for natural resources mapping & monitoring Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) series viz. RESOURCESAT, CARTOSAT, OCEANSAT etc. provide required data at different spatial resolutions ranging from 1km, 56m, 23.5m, 5.8m, 2.5m or better in multi-spectral/ panchromatic mode for natural resources mapping & monitoring. Some of the important projects carried out in the country include Land Use Land Cover (LULC) mapping, Groundwater Prospects Mapping under Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission (RGNDWM), Forecasting Agricultural output using Space, Agro meteorology and Land based observations (FASAL), Forest Cover/Type Mapping, Grassland Mapping, Biodiversity Characterization, Snow & Glacier Studies, Coastal Studies, Coral and Mangroves Studies, Wasteland Mapping etc. (NRSC, 2012). Satellite remote sensing and GIS technology has also been used for mapping the dynamics of shifting cultivation and shifting cultivation hotspot, for understanding spatial distribution of shifting cultivation. Outputs of these studies were useful for understanding status of shifting cultivation and zones of high concentration of the shifting cultivation practices (Chakraborty et al., 2015). Digital change detection techniques were found to be useful in understanding landscape dynamics of any region by using multi-temporal satellite imagery (Rawat and Kumar, 2015).

2.2. Remote Sensing & Geographical Information System for site suitability studies Identification of suitable sites for various horticultural crops, monitoring and management of land resource in an integrated manner with reference to agro-climatic condition by using modern geospatial technologies such as satellite Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) and GPS etc. has been clearly demonstrated (Goswami et al., 2012). Land suitability/ capability has been found to be the most important component in identifying suitable sites for various crops using multi-criteria evaluation in GIS (Handique et.al., 2016). Again, multi-criteria evaluation using RS & GIS has been used for generating crop suitability maps of winter and summer season crops and kharif and rabi season cropping patterns (Mustafa et al., 2011). 4

2.3. Site suitability for turmeric Different types of plant species require different type of soil and site conditions for optimum growth and development. Extreme agro-ecological conditions and soils may be suitable for growth of some plant species but all species cannot grow in same conditions and same environment (Mishra, 2007). For cultivation of turmeric, climatic and soil condition should be amidst a temperature range of 20°-35°C with an average annual rainfall of 1500 mm or more. It can be grown in diverse climatic and physiographic conditions upto 1500 m above sea level under rain-fed or irrigated conditions. Well drained sandy or clay loam soils with pH range of 4.5-7.5 with good organic matter content are best for turmeric cultivation (Jayshree et al., 2015). Site suitability play as an important role in itentifying an

area which will be most

suitable for growing a particular crop in a particular region (Parthasarthy et al., 2007). Current land use, physiography, climate and soil variability affects the suitability classification of land use types (Choudhary, 2012). The first step in site suitability studies is the evluation of land suitability and this can be achieved following the guidelines of Food and Agriculture Organization (Moshia et al., 2008). Soils are classified into different series depending upon their physico-chemical properties to find out the land suitability of major crops in selected region based on existing climatic and soil properties (Khan and Khan, 2014). In addition to land suitability analysis (LSA), some other criteria including environmental, social and economic factors also play an important role in site suitability studies (Jafari and Zaredar, 2010). Mandal et al., (2008) used a model framework for suitability of turmeric and identified better soils by correlated fresh rhizome yield with soil properties.

2.4. Spatial Decision Support System for site suitability Decision making on identifying suitable lands for plantation of horticultural crops based on environmental, economic and institutional factors is a complex process and involves a conflict of interest in reality. Practically all lands are suitable for production but certain land types will be suitable for higher level of production of a specific crop with minimal risk of land and water degradation. Bluml et al., (1999) identified biophysical, infrastructure and institutional factors for land suitability for horticulture production and minimization of land and water degradation. The application of spatial decision support system and spatial data mining techniques and algorithms in agriculture can be improved by integrating Geographic Information System (GIS) and advances in information technology techniques (Kumbhar and 5

Singh, 2013). Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) provides a framework for integrating spatial and non-spatial data management, spatial display capabilities, analytical and spatial modelling capabilities, and reporting capabilities. SDSS is very useful for decision makers to solve semi-structured and unstructured spatial problems in an interactive and iterative way (Samuel, 2011).

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CHAPTER-III 3. Materials and Methods 3.1. Study area Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya has a geographical area of 3819 sq.km. The geographical extent of district is between 25°01‟16.11” to 25°45‟06.42” North latitude and 92°48‟35.09” to 91°58‟29.24” East longitude. It is located in the eastern most part of the state and is bounded on the North and East by the State of Assam. On the South by Bangladesh and on the West by East Khasi Hills District. It is the home of one of the major tribes of Meghalaya popularly known as the Jaintia or the Pnar and other sub-tribes like the Wars, the Bhois and the Biates. The climate of Jaintia hills is uniquely pleasant;. it is neither too warm in summer nor too cold in winter. The rainfall is very high during the south west monsoons, which usually start from the middle of may and decline towards the end of September. The elevation ranges from 76m (at Dawki) and 1627m (at Maryngksi). Physiographically the area is divided into three broad divisions; the Northern Hills, the Central plateau/Central Jowai upland and the Southern Escarpment. The soils of the hills are dark brown to dark reddish-brown in colour, varying in depth from 50-200 cm. The texture of soils varies from loamy to fine loamy (Bhalerao et al., 2015).

Fig 3.1: Study area (Jainitia Hills of Meghalaya) 7

3.2. Identification of tree clad areas and shifting cultivated areas Multispectral and multi-temporal satellite imagery of Resourcesat-2 Linear Imaging Self Scanning Sensor-III (LISS-III) for the period of 2015-2016 was used for identification of tree clad areas and shifting cultivated areas. Specifications of satellite sensor have been shown in Table 3.1. Visual image interpretation technique was used for identification of tree clad areas (open) and shifting cultivated areas (abandoned & current). Table 3.1: specifications of Resourcesat-2 LISS-III sensor Date of launch

20th April, 2011

Altitude

817 Km

Inclination

98.69

Launch vehicle

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C16

No. of Bands

4

Spectral Bands (μm)

B2: 0.52 – 0.59 B3: 0.62 – 0.68 B4: 0.77 – 0.86 B5: 1.55 – 1.70

Resolution (m)

23.5

Swath (Km)

140

Revisit (days)

24

Data Rate (Mbps per stream)

105

Quantisation

10-bit

Gains

100% Albedo, No Gain setting (NRSC, 2017)

3.2.1. Visual image interpretation technique Visual image interpretation is a method for classifying satellite imagery in which observation and inference depend on interpreter‟s training. Keys of visual image interpretation are location, size, shape, shadow, tone/colour, texture, pattern, height/depth, site (elevation, slope, and aspect), situation and association. The size of an object is one of the most distinguishing characteristics and one of the most important elements of image interpretation. Many natural and man-made features on the ground have very unique shapes that can be referenced in photo and image interpretation. The electromagnetic radiation (EMR) recorded by remote sensing system can be displayed in shades of gray ranging from black to white 8

tone. We may use additive color-combining techniques to create Color composite images. Texture is the characteristic placement and arrangement of repetitions of tones or color in an image. Pattern is the spatial arrangement of objects in the landscape. Both texture and pattern are scale independent. The shadow in the image provides real clue to an object‟s identification, e.g., height. The ability to visually appreciate or measure the height (elevation) or depth (bathymetry) of an object or landform is one of the most diagnostic elements of image interpretation. Site: physical (elevation, slope, aspect, type of surface cover) socioeconomic (value of the land, adjacency to water). Situation is how objects are organized and oriented relative to one another. Again, association also has very important role in visual image interpretation. For example when certain activity or phenomena are almost invariably encountered with other related or associated features or activities.

Advantages of visual image interpretation approach 

Context/Texture/ attern based classes can be delineated



Various enhancement options are possible to exploit the capability of multiband/ multi season data



Minimizes the issues of sensor radiometry and date of pass



Temporal assessment is time effective



Adoptability and operational feasibility is high



Domain knowledge and site adaptation is used to ascertain land use units

3.2.2. Identification of tree clad areas (open) Areas with tree cover lying outside the notified forest area with woody perennial plant with a single, well-defined stem carrying a more-or- less-defined crown and being at least 3 m tall. Tree clad area (open) category includes all the forest areas where the canopy cover/density ranges between 10-40%. This category has a tendency to get mixed with forested areas.

3.2.3. Identification of shifting cultivated areas (abandoned & current) Shifting cultivation is the agricultural systems that involves an alternation between cropping for a few years on selected and cleared plots followed by a lengthy period when the soil is rested. It is a method of cyclical cultivation, chiefly in vogue in the tropics, where cultivators cut the trees, burn it, and raise field crops for one or more year before moving on to another site and repeating the process. Therefore, this system is also known as slash & burn 9

cultivation. Shifting cultivation-Current are the areas that are used for cultivation which are clearly perceptible on the satellite imagery either in pre-burnt or in post-burnt condition. On the other hand, Shifting cultivation-Abandoned are the areas that were under shifting cultivation, left idle for more than a year or so but less than 5 years there by giving a scope for the regeneration of secondary vegetation, especially bamboo, grasses or shrubs.

3.3. Extraction of Soil Attributes Soil map on 1:50000 scale prepared by North Space Applications Centre NESAC, 2015) has been used for extracting required soil parameters viz. texture, erosion, depth, soil drainage, pH, available phosphorus and available potassium. Land Capability Classification (LCC) map was generated following the criteria developed by Soil and land Use Survey of India (SLUSI). For generating LCC map soil parameters viz. depth, permeability, texture, erosion, slope and distance from active gully head were used. Criteria of all the soil parameters for generating LCC has been shown in Table 3.3. All soil parameters were classified into four suitability classes viz. highly suitable, moderately suitable, marginally suitable and not suitable based on suitability criteria for turmeric crop (Naidu et al.,2006). Suitability criteria of the soil parameters for turmeric crop have been shown in Table 3.4. Table 3.3: Criteria for Land Capability Classification LCC

Soil Texture

Soil Erosion

Soil Depth (cm)

Permeability

I

Silty clay loam, clay loam, loam, Silt loam

Slight

100

II

Silty clay loam, silt loam

Moderate

III

Loamy sandy, sand, silty clay

IV

Clay

V VI

Slop e (%)

Distance from active gully head

Moderate

0-1

More than 60m

50-10

Moderately slow

1-5

Minimum 60m

Severe

25-50

Slow & Rapid

3-10

Between 6-60m

Severe

10-25

Very slow

1033

-

Same characteristics as class-I land except for one or more limitation of wetness Clay

Gullied lands or sand dunes

10 or Less

Very rapid

>33

Marginal land

(Mohan et al., 2007) 10

3.4. Delineation of elevation, slope and aspect Digital Elevation Model (DEM) generated from stereo pair of IRS-P5 CARTOSAT-1 satellite imagery (CARTO-DEM) was used for delineating physiographic parameters viz. elevation, slope and aspect by using ArcGIS 10.2 software. Specifications of CARTO-DEM have been shown in Table 3.2. After that output images were reclassified into four suitability classes viz. highly suitable, moderately suitable, marginally suitable and not suitable based on suitability criteria for turmeric crop (Naidu et al.,2006). Suitability criteria of the physiographic parameters for turmeric crop have been shown in Table 3.4. Table 3.2: Specifications of CARTO-DEM Generating Agency

National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC)

Image Format

Geo-Tiff

Data Type (DEM)

Signed short (2 bytes)

Data Type (Ortho-image)

Unsigned short (2 bytes)

Satellite

Cartosat-1

Sensor

PAN Stereo

Datum

WGS84

Projection

Geographic

Ortho Image Resolution

1/12 arc sec ~ 2.5 m

DEM Posting

1/3 arc sec ~ 10 m

DEM Accuracy (Planimetric)

15m

DEM Accuracy(Elevation)

8m

DEM Ellipsoidal Height Units

Meters

Tile Extents (Size)

7.5‟x7.5‟ ~ 13.5 km x 13.5 km (NRSC, 2015)

3.5 Generation Spatial Database of Climatic Data Automatic Weather Station (AWS) data

for the period of 2009-2010 was used for

generating spatial database of climatic parameters viz. average annual rainfall and mean temperature by using Interpolation technique in ArcGIS 10.2. Kriging method was used to interpolate the climatic data because in this method low value within the optional output variance of prediction raster indicates a high degree of confidence in the predicted value. High values indicate need for more data points. After that climatic layer was classified into four 11

suitability classes viz. highly suitable, moderately suitable, marginally suitable and not suitable based on suitability criteria for turmeric crop (Naidu et al., 2006). Suitability criteria of the climatic parameters for turmeric crop have been shown in Table 3.4.

3.6. Spatial decision support system for identification of potential sites for turmeric For potential site selection for turmeric cultivation, climatic, physiographic, soil, land use land cover and ancillary data were integrated in GIS environment. Ranked weighted overlay technique was used for identification of potential sites for turmeric. Various thematic layers viz. slope, aspect, elevation, drainage, soil pH, LCC, available P2O5, available K2O, average annual rainfall and mean temperature were given weightage according to their influence in turmeric cultivation. The turmeric potential zones were obtained by overlaying all the thematic maps through weighted overlay methods using the spatial analyst tool of ArcGIS 10.2. During the weighted overlay analysis, the ranking was assigned to individual parameter of each thematic map and the weightage have been presented in Table 3.5. Table 3.4: Suitability criteria for turmeric crop Site characteristics

Unit

Suitability criteria for turmeric High

Physiography

Soil

Climate

Moderate

Marginal

Not

Elevation

M

500-1000

1000-1500

1500-2000

>2000

Slope

%

0-3

3-8

8-15

>15

Aspect

Direction Flat, south east, south

South west

North east, east, west

North, north west

Drainage

Class

Well drained

Mod. Well drained

Imperfectly Poorly drained drained

LCC

Class

II

III

IV

VI

pH

1:2:5

5.8-7.0

4.8-5.7 7.1-7.5

4.7-4.5 7.6-8.5

8.5

P2O5

Kg/ha

>56

22.5-56

337.5

136-337.5

Mean and TPI < Mean + SD `

Highly Suitable = TPI ≥ Mean + SD

13

Table 3.5: Rank and weightage assigend to different layers Thematic Layers

Elevation

Slope

Aspect

LCC

Soil pH

Available P2O5

Available K2O

Drainage

Temperature

Rainfall

Weightage

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.3

0.1

0.05

0.05

0.1

0.05

0.05

Suitability criteria

Rank

Highly Suitable

60

Moderately Suitable

30

Marginally Suitable

10

Highly Suitable

60

Moderately Suitable

30

Marginally Suitable

10

Not Suitable

0

Highly Suitable

60

Moderately Suitable

30

Marginally Suitable

10

Not Suitable

0

Highly Suitable

60

Moderately Suitable

30

Marginally Suitable

10

Not Suitable

0

Highly Suitable

60

Moderately Suitable

30

Marginally Suitable

10

Not Suitable

0

Highly Suitable

70

Moderately Suitable

30

Highly Suitable

60

Moderately Suitable

30

Marginally Suitable

10

Highly Suitable

60

Moderately Suitable

30

Marginally Suitable

10

Highly Suitable

70

Moderately Suitable

30

Highly Suitable

100

Not Suitable

0 14

Fig. 3.2: Flow chart showing the overall methodology

15

CHAPTER-IV 4. Results and Discussion 4.1. Land Use Land Cover (LULC) Eight major LULC classes were identified in Jaintia Hills viz. agricultural lands, built up areas, forest lands, forest- tree clad area- open, shifting cultivation- current, shifting cultivationabandoned, wastelands and water bodies (Fig. 4.1). This has been observed that tree clad area- open occupied the highest area (42.0.8% of TGA) followed by wastelands (25.47%), forests (24.85%), built up areas (3.27%), agricultural lands (2.98%), water bodies (0.93%), shifting cultivation- current (0.34%) and shifting cultivation- abandoned (0.07%) in Jaintia Hills (Table 4.1 and Fig. 4.2). Tree clad area- open, shifting cultivation- current and shifting cultivation- abandoned areas were considered for identification of potential sites for turmeric cultivation.

Fig. 4.1: Land use land over map of Jaintia Hills

16

Table 4.1: Area under different LULC classes in Jaintia Hills LULC class

Area (ha)

Area (%)

Agriculture lands

11379.52

2.98

Built up lands

12507.05

3.27

Forest lands

94916.39

24.85

Tree clad area open

160713.30

42.08

Shifting - abandoned

248.35

0.07

1302.07

0.34

97279.85

25.47

3553.49

0.93

381900.00

100.00

Shifting - current Wastelands Water bodies lands Total

0.07% 42%

0.34%

Agriculture lands Built up lands Forest lands

28%

26%

Tree clad area open Shifting - Abondoned Shifting - Current Wastelands

1%

25% 3%

Waterbodies Lands

3%

Fig. 4.2: Percentage of area under different LULC classes in Jaintia Hills

4.2. Soil properties 4.2.1. Land Capability Classes (LCC) Four LCC were found in Jaintia Hills viz. class II, III, IV and VI. However, areas under habitation and water bodies were not classified (Fig. 4.3). This has been observed that 56% areas were under LCC IV which was considered to be marginally suitable for turmeric cultivation. Again, 25% areas were under LCC III which was considered to be moderately suitable for turmeric cultivation. Only 9% areas were found under LCC II which was considered 17

to be highly suitable for turmeric cultivation. Other classes were considered to be not suitable for turmeric cultivation (Table 4.2 and Fig. 4.4).

Fig. 4.3: Land capability classification map of Jaintia Hills

IV 56% VI 6%

II 9% III 25%

Other 4%

HABITATION 3%

WATER BODY 1%

Fig. 4.4: Percentage of area under different land capability classes in Jaintia Hills 18

Table 4.2: Area under different LCC suitable for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills LCC

Suitability for turmeric

Area (ha)

Area (%)

II

Highly suitable

36296.28

9

III

Moderately suitable

95154.63

25

IV

Marginally suitable

214119.06

56

VI

Not suitable

21594.87

6

Habitation

Not suitable

10588.40

3

Water bodies

Not suitable

4146.79

1

381900.00

100

Total

4.2.2. Soil pH Soils of Jaintia Hills were classified into extremely acidic, very strongly acidic, strongly acidic, moderately acidic, slightly acidic and neutral based on soil pH (Fig. 4.5).

Fig. 4.5: Soil acidity map of Jaintia Hills This has been observed that 38% areas were highly suitable, 43% areas were moderately suitable and 12% areas were marginally suitable for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills based on soil acidity. Rest of the areas including habitation and water body were considered as not suitable turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills (Table 4.3, Fig. 4.6 and Fig. 4.7). 19

Table 4.3: Area under different suitability classes based on soil acidity Suitability for turmeric

Area (ha)

Area (%)

Highly suitable

145180.36

38

Moderately suitable

165588.86

43

Marginally suitable

45531.79

12

Not suitable

10863.80

3

Habitation

10588.40

3

4146.79

1

381900.00

100

Water body Total

HIGHLY SUITABILITY 43%

12%

3%

3%

4% 38%

1%

MO0DERATELY SUITABILITY MARGINALLY SUITABILITY NOT SUITABILITY

Fig. 4.6: Percentage of area under different suitability classes based on soil acidity

Fig. 4.7: Soil acidity suitability map for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills 20

4.2.3. Soil drainage Soil drainage was categorized into three classes viz. well drained area, moderately well drained area and poorly drained. However, habitation and water bodies were not classified (Fig. 4.8).

Fig. 4.8 Soil drainage map of Jaintia Hills

This has been observed that 52% areas were under moderately suitable, 42% were highly suitable and 2% was marginally suitable for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills based on soil drainage (Table 4.4, Fig. 4.9 and Fig. 4.10). Table 4.4: Area under different suitability classes based on soil drainage Suitability class

Area (ha)

Area (%)

Highly suitability

161078.31

42

Moderately suitability

197766.88

52

8319.62

2

10588.40

3

4146.79

1

381900.00

100

Marginally suitability Habitation Water body Total

21

2% 3% 1%

42%

HIGHLY SUITABILITY MODERATELY SUITABILITY MARGINALLY SUITABILITY HABITATION

52%

WATER BODY

Fig. 4.9: Percentage of area under different suitability classes based on soil drainage

Fig. 4.10: Soil drainage suitability map for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills 22

4.2.4. Available soil phosphorus Available soil phosphorus (P2O5) has been found to be medium (22.5-56 kg/ha) to high (56 kg/ha) (Fig. 4.11).

Fig. 4.11: Available P2O5 map of Jaintia Hills This has been observed that 69% areas were highly suitable and 27% areas were moderately suitable for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills based on available soil phosphorus (Table 4.15, Fig. 4.12 and Fig. 4.13). Table 4.5: Area under different suitability classes based on available P2O5 Suitability class

Area (ha)

Area (%)

Highly suitability

262096.00

69

Moderately suitability

105068.81

27

10588.40

3

4146.79

1

381900.00

100

Habitation Water body Total

23

MODERATELY SUITABLE 27% Other 4%

HABITATION 3%

HIGHLY SUITABLE 69% WATER BODY 1%

Fig. 4.12: Percentage of area under different suitability classes based on available P2O5

Fig. 4.13: Available P2O5 suitability map for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills 24

4.2.5. Available soil potassium Available soil potassium (K2O) has been categorized into three classes viz. low (< 136 kg/ha), medium (136 - 337.5 kg/ha) and high (> 337.5 kg/ha) (Fig. 4.14).

Fig. 4.14: Available K2O map of Jaintia Hills This has been observed that 54 % areas were under moderately suitable followed by 35% under highly suitable and 7% under marginally suitable for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills based on available K2O content (Table 4.6, Fig. 4.15 and Fig. 4.16). Table 4.6: Area under different suitability classes based on available K2O Suitability class

Area (ha)

Area (%)

Highly suitability

134138.84

35

Moderately suitability

207359.02

54

Marginally suitability

25666.95

7

Habitation

10588.40

3

4146.79

1

381900.00

100

Water body Total

25

MODERATELY SUITABLE 54%

MARGINALLY SUITABLE 7% Other 4% HIGHLY SUITABLE 35%

HABITATION 3%

WATER BODY 1%

Fig. 4.15: Percentage of area under different suitability classes based on available K2O.

Fig. 4.16: Available K2O suitability map for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills 26

4.3. Physiographic parameters 4.3.1. Elevation of Jaintia Hills Entire study area was divided into three classes based on elevation i.e. highly suitable (500-1000 m), moderately suitable (1000-1500 m) and marginally suitable (1500-2000 m) for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills (Fig. 4.17).

Fig. 4.17: Elevation map of Jaintia Hills

This has been observed that 58.8% areas were highly suitable, 41% moderately suitable and 0.2% marginally suitable for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills based on elevation (Table 4.7). Table 4.7: Area under different suitability classes based on elevation Suitability class

Area (ha)

Area (%)

Highly suitability

224374

58.8

Moderately suitability

156624

41

903

0.2

381900

100

Marginally suitability Total

27

41% HIGHLY SUITABILITY MODERATELY SUITABILITY 59%

Fig. 4.18: Percentage of area under different suitability classes based on elevation

Fig. 4.19: Elevation suitability map for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills

28

4.3.2. Slope of Jaintia Hills Jaintia Hills have been classified into seven slope classes i.e. 0-1%, 1-3%, 3-8%, 815%, 15-33%, 33-50% and >50% (Fig. 4.20).

Fig. 4.20: Slope map of Jaintia Hills

This has been observed that only 6% each was under highly suitable and moderately suitable and 13% under marginally suitable for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills. However, 75% area was found to be not suitable for turmeric cultivation (Table 4.8, Fig. 4.21 and Fig. 4.22). Table 4.8: Area under different suitability classes based on slope Suitability class

Area (ha)

Area (%)

Highly suitable

23671.78

6

Moderately suitable

24133.27

6

Marginally suitable

49755.79

13

Not suitable

284339.20

75

Total

381900.00

100

29

6% 13% NOT SUITABLE 6%

MODERATELY SUITABLE MARGINALLY SUITABLE HIGHLY SUITABLE 75%

Fig. 4.21: Percentage of area under different suitability classes based on slope

Fig. 4.22: Slope suitability map for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills

30

4.3.3. Aspect of Jaintia Hills Jaintia Hills have been classified into nine aspect classes viz. east, flat, north, northeast, north-west, south, south-east, south-west and west (Fig 4.21).

Fig. 4.23: Aspect map of Jaintia Hills This has been observed the 34% area was highly suitable, 12% under moderately suitable, 49% under marginally suitable for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills. 5% area was found to be not suitable for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills based on aspect (Table 4.9, Fig. 4.24 and Fig. 4.25).

Table 4.9: Area under different suitability classes based on aspect Suitability class

Area (ha)

Area (%)

Highly suitable

131558.8

34

Moderately suitable

44426.72

12

Marginally suitable

185787.4

49

Not suitable

20127.15

5

381900.00

100

Total

31

5% 12% NOT SUITABLE 49%

MODERATELY SUITABLE HIGHLY SUITABLE 34%

MARGINALLY SUITABLE

Fig. 4.24: Percentage of area under different suitability classes based on aspect

Fig. 4.25: Aspect suitability map for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills

32

4.4. Climatic parameters 4.4.1. Temperature of Jaintia Hills The mean temperature in Jaintia hills varied from 170C to 230C. South-eastern part of Jaintia Hills was found to be warmer as compared to other parts. Lowest temperature was observed around western parts of Jaintia Hills (Fig. 4.26).

Fig. 4.26: Temperature map of Jaintia Hills This has been observed that 54% of TGA of Jaintia Hills was highly suitable and 46% was moderately suitable for turmeric cultivation. Whole area was found to be suitable for turmeric cultivation based on temperature in Jaintia Hills (Table 4.10 and Fig. 4.27).

Table 4.10 : Area under different suitability classes based on temperature Suitability class

Area (ha)

Area (%)

Highly suitable

206728.3

54

Moderately suitable

175130

46

Total

381900

100

33

MODERATELY SUITABLE 46%

HIGHLY SUITABLE 54%

Fig. 4.27: Percentage of area under different suitability classes based on temperature

4.4.2. Rainfall of Jaintia Hills Average annual rainfall of Jaintia Hills was found to vary from 1533 mm to 4355 mm. High rainfall occurred in southern & central part of Jaintia Hills and low rainfall was recorded in the north-west part of the hills. Entire Jaintia Hills was found to be highly suitable for turmeric cultivation based on average annual rainfall (Fig. 4.28).

Fig. 4.28: Rainfall map of Jaintia Hills 34

4.5. Potential sites for turmeric cultivation Potential sites for turmeric cultivation has been classified into four classes viz. highly suitable, moderately suitable, marginally suitable and not suitable (Fig. 4.29).

Fig. 4.29: Potential sites for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills

This has been found that 29534.47 ha were highly suitable (18%), 49590.75 ha were moderately suitable (31%) and 52785.47 ha were marginally suitable (32%) for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills. However, 30353.02 ha area were found to be not suitable (19%) turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills (Table 4.11 and Fig. 4.30).

35

Table 4.11: Suitable areas for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills Suitability class

Area (ha)

Area (%)

Highly suitable

29534.47

18

Moderately suitable

49590.75

31

Marginally suitable

52785.47

32

Not suitable

30353.02

19

162263.70

100

Total

NOT SUITABLE 19%

HIGHLY SUITABLE 18%

MARGINALLY SUITABLE 32%

MODERATELY SUITABLE 31%

Fig. 4.30: Percentage of area under different suitability classes for turmeric cultivation

Jaintia Hills is having five Community and Rural Development (C&RD) blocks viz. Amlarem, Khleriat, Laskein, Saipung and Thadlaskein.

Highly suitable areas for turmeric

cultivation were found to be highest in Laskein (1092%) followed by Thadlaskein (3.26%), Khleriet (1.90%), Saipung (1.44) and Amlarem (0.67%). Similarly, moderately suitable areas were found to be highest in Laskein (8.14%) followed by Thadlaskein (6.78%), Saipung (6.77%), Khleriet (5.70%) and Amlarem (3.17%). On the other hand, 9.66% area in Thadlaskein, 7.34% area in Khleriet, 6.34% area in Saipung, 5.06% in Amlarem and 4.12% area in Laskein were found to marginally suitable for turmeric cultivation (Table 4.12 & Fig.4.31).

36

Table 4.12: Block wise Suitable areas for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills Block Name

Amlarem

Suitability

Area (ha)

Area (%)

Highly Suitable

1087.79

0.67

Moderately Suitable

5143.68

3.17

Marginally Suitable

8217.01

5.06

Not Suitable

3185.13

1.96

17633.62

10.87

Highly Suitable

3087.67

1.90

Moderately Suitable

9243.84

5.70

Marginally Suitable

11917.49

7.34

5913.83

3.64

TOTAL

30162.85

18.59

Highly Suitable

17723.46

10.92

Moderately Suitable

13213.79

8.14

Marginally Suitable

6685.88

4.12

Not Suitable

1770.87

1.09

39394.00

24.28

2338.05

1.44

Moderately Suitable

10988.52

6.77

Marginally Suitable

10293.11

6.34

3053.71

1.88

26673.39

16.44

5295.30

3.26

Moderately Suitable

11003.91

6.78

Marginally Suitable

15669.26

9.66

Not Suitable

16432.66

10.13

TOTAL

48401.10

29.83

162263.70

100.00

TOTAL

Khleriat

Laskein

Not Suitable

TOTAL Highly Suitable

Saipung

Not Suitable TOTAL Highly Suitable

Thadlaskein

GRAND TOTAL

37

Highly Suitable

Moderately Suitable

Marginally Suitable

Not Suitable

17000

Area (ha)

15000 13000 11000 9000 7000 5000 3000 1000

Amlarem

Khleriat

Laskein

Saipung

Thadlaskein

Fig. 4.31: Block wise area under different suitability classes for turmeric cultivation

38

CHAPTER-V 5. Summary and Conclusions The geo-climatic conditions of Meghalaya is providing excellent conditions for growing different horticultural crops including fruits, vegetables, spices, plantation crops, medicinal and aromatic plants of high economic values. The Lakadong variety of turmeric is indigenous to the Shangpong area of Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya and is considered as one of the best quality of turmeric with curcumin content as high as 7.5%. However, the area under turmeric in Jaintia Hills is very less and there is a scope for identification of potential sites for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya. Multispectral and multi-temporal satellite imagery of Resourcesat-2 LISS-III for the period of 2015-2016 has been found to be useful for identification of major LULC classes. Eight major LULC classes were identified in Jaintia Hills viz. agricultural lands, built up areas, forest lands, forest- tree clad area- open, shifting cultivation- current, shifting cultivationabandoned, wastelands and water bodies. Tree clad area- open, shifting cultivation- current and shifting cultivation- abandoned areas were considered for identification of potential sites for turmeric cultivation. Again, detailed soil map on 1:50000 scale could be used satisfactorily for extracting required soil parameters viz. texture, erosion, depth, soil drainage, pH, available phosphorus and available potassium. Four LCC were found in Jaintia Hills viz. class II, III, IV and VI, 56% under LCC IV which was considered to be marginally suitable, 25% under LCC III which was considered to be moderately suitable and only 9% under LCC II which was considered to be highly suitable for turmeric cultivation. On the other hand, CARTO-DEM has been found to be useful for delineating physiographic parameters viz. elevation, slope and aspect with higher accuracy and spatial resolution. 58.8% areas were found to be highly suitable, 41% moderately suitable and 0.2% marginally suitable for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills based on elevation. Similarly, 6% each was found to be highly and moderately suitable and 13% marginally suitable for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills with respect to slope. However, 75% area was found to be not suitable for turmeric cultivation based on slope. Again, 34% area was found to be highly suitable, 12% moderately suitable and 49% marginally suitable for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills with respect to aspect. Automatic Weather Station (AWS) data were found to be useful for generating spatial database of climatic parameters viz. average annual rainfall and mean temperature by using 39

Interpolation technique. The mean temperature in Jaintia hills varied from 170C to 230C and 54% of TGA of Jaintia Hills was highly suitable and 46% was moderately suitable for turmeric cultivation with respect to temperature requirement. Again, average annual rainfall of Jaintia Hills was found to vary from 1533 mm to 4355 mm and entire Jaintia Hills was found to be highly suitable for turmeric cultivation based on average annual rainfall. For potential site selection for turmeric cultivation, climatic, physiographic, soil, land use land cover and ancillary data were integrated in GIS environment. Ranked weighted overlay technique was used for identification of potential sites for turmeric. 29534.47 ha were highly suitable (18%), 49590.75 ha were moderately suitable (31%) and 52785.47 ha were marginally suitable (32%) for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills. However, 30353.02 ha area were found to be not suitable (19%) turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills. This study has demonstrated the strength of remote sensing and geographic information system in identification of potential sites for turmeric cultivation in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya. Multispectral and multi-temporal satellite imagery of Resoursat-2 LISS-III sensor with spatial resolution of 23.5m were used for identification of shifting cultivation (abandoned & current) and tree clad areas- open. There is a scope for using multispectral and multi-temporal satellite imagery of Resoursat-2 LISS-IV sensor with spatial resolution of 5.8m for enhancing the accuracy of the output.

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APPENDIX-I Area under different suitability classes for each parameter Parameter Elevation

Slope

Suitable class

Area (ha)

Area (%)

Highly Suitable

105948.60

65

Moderately Suitable

56305.32

35

Highly Suitable

10057.79

6

Moderately Suitable

10253.87

6

Marginally Suitable

21140.51

12

120811.50

75

Highly Suitable

55897.38

34

Moderately Suitable

18876.26

12

Marginally Suitable

78938.33

49

8551.72

5

Highly Suitable

58470.79

36

Moderately Suitable

23230.76

14

Marginally Suitable

75045.64

46

5516.51

4

Highly Suitable

31290.61

19

Moderately Suitable

31911.85

20

Marginally Suitable

92941.22

57

6120.02

4

134854.60

83

27409

17

Highly Suitable

71532.26

44

Moderately Suitable

72986.78

45

Marginally Suitable

17744.66

11

Highly Suitable

77015.55

47

Moderately Suitable

84477.17

52

770.97

1

Highly Suitable

90653.32

56

Moderately Suitable

71610.38

44

142658.50

88

19605.20

12

Not Suitable

Aspect

Not Suitable

Soil pH

Not Suitable

LCC

Not Suitable Available P2O5

Available K2O

Drainage

Temperature

Highly Suitable Moderately Suitable

Marginally Suitable

Highly Suitable Rainfall

Not Suitable

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APPENDIX-II Temperature data used from Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) Mean annual temperature (degree celcius)

Station_id

Station name

ISRO0048_15F030

Amlaram

25.17

ISRO0042_15F02A

Jowai

ISRO1067_15F42B ISRO0043_15F02B

Latitude Longitude

2009

2010

Average

92.25

18.93

19.03

18.98

25.43

92.17

16.98

17.66

17.32

Kalline

24.98

92.58

24.66

25.49

25.08

Kleirihat

25.33

92.37

18.52

17.69

18.10

Rainfall data used from Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) Mean annual temperature (degree celcius)

Station_id

Station name

ISRO0048_15F030

Amlaram

25.17

ISRO0042_15F02A

Jowai

ISRO1067_15F42B ISRO0043_15F02B

Latitude Longitude

2009

2010

Average

92.25

5518

2545

4031.5

25.43

92.17

2007

2848

2427.5

Kalline

24.98

92.58

3005

4490

3747.5

Kleirihat

25.33

92.37

3793

4917

4355

45

APPENDIX-III

Fig: Geo-tagged photographs showing tree clad areas suitable for turmeric cultivation 46