An approach to identify area-specific land use analysis objectives

Maps of land use classes and soil series were analysed to identify areas having specific priorities with respect to agricultural land use analysis under the project Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development (IMSD) in India. IMSD used remote sensing data supported by field investigations to generate land use and soil maps. At present, using GIS techniques, relationships between soils and associated land cover/use are analysed and patterns in these relationships are identified, relationships observed on the basis of a priori knowledge of the area and the available statistics are compared and these relationships in the field and through interviews with farmers are correlated. Based on the analysis, three land use analysis objectives have been formulated: Crop Management Improvement, Crop Selection and Conservation. The results can be used to focus the efforts of planning and extension services in the area. The method was tested using a participatory rural appraisal in eighteen villages in which the areas for the three land use analysis objectives were identified. The findings are that the Crop Management Improvement areas require knowledge about sustainable management practices for a specific crop to optimise yield and water use. Areas identified for Crop Selection are mainly occupied by smallholder subsistence farmers with insufficient water for irrigation, and lack of contact with the extension service. In these areas, identifying suitable crops to minimise risk and allow subsistence for the resource-poor farmers may be the priority. In areas identified for Conservation the question should be addressed whether to grow a crop at all, or use the land for alternative activities. The approach identified specific agricultural land use analysis objectives, which match farmers' needs and objectives.