Vol. 9, Special Issue 9, Part I (2025)

The research entitled “Delineation of Soil Fertility Maps of Valan Village of Rahuri Tehsil” was undertaken to assess the soil fertility status of Valan village, Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra, using advanced geospatial techniques. The village covers 912 hectares of predominantly rainfed agricultural land. A total of 130 geo referenced surface soil samples (0-15 cm) were collected at 250 metre intervals, air dried, and ground and analysed following standard procedures. Physical parameters studied included pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic carbon, bulk density and texture, while chemical indicators comprised available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, boron and molybdenum. Spatial interpolation using the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) method in ArcGIS 10.3 was employed to generate soil fertility maps. Results revealed that the soils were predominantly alkaline (pH 7.47-9.43, mean 8.5), with 78% of samples classified as strongly alkaline and largely non-saline (mean EC 0.65 dS m⁻¹). Organic carbon was low to medium (0.23-0.57%, mean 0.42%), while available nitrogen was deficient (142-258 kg ha⁻¹, mean 197 kg ha⁻¹). Phosphorus showed low to medium availability (10.89-24.54 kg ha⁻¹, mean 16.42 kg ha⁻¹), potassium was adequate to high (158-751 kg ha⁻¹, mean 380 kg ha⁻¹) and sulphur was generally satisfactory (9.01-23.25 mg kg⁻¹, mean 16.12 mg kg⁻¹). Zinc deficiency was a significant constraint, affecting approximately 42% of samples, whereas iron, manganese, copper, boron and molybdenum were found to be adequate. Clay and silty clay were the dominant soil textures, accounting for about 65% of the area, with bulk density ranging from 1.12-1.48 Mg m⁻³ (mean 1.32 Mg m⁻³). The key fertility constraints identified were high alkalinity, low nitrogen, low organic carbon and zinc deficiency. The generated fertility maps provide a scientific basis for site specific nutrient management, including balanced fertilizer application, incorporation of organic manures, zinc enriched formulations and legume based crop rotations. This GIS based mapping approach offers an effective framework for precision agriculture, aiming to enhance soil fertility, optimise nutrient use efficiency and promote sustainable agricultural productivity in semi-arid regions.