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LAND CAPABILITY - LIMITATION CLASSES
Velikonda range particularly hogback ridges
and their piedmont zone. It is a mixed
deciduous forest with dominance of red san-
ders. Red sanders is the most economically
important species, a foreign exchange earner,
that grows abundantly in this Rajampet forest
division only in India.
Southern tropical dry thorn forest
This type of forest is confined to the hilly
terrain of central part of the study area on
steep slopes. It is a mixed forest with no
dominance of any single species.
Barren land
It is unproductive in its present state.
There are spots of intensive soil erosion
along the foot-slopes of the hills besides
barren rock surfaces of quartzite terrain.
Broken ground - dissection and erosion
These are active pediment areas covered with
rock fragments and very thin soil. They are
subjected to intensive dissection and soil
erosion. These are lands that are unproduc
tive in their present state.
With practically no irrigation facilities
through canals, the agriculture in the entire
area is dependent upon groundwater and tanks.
A number of tanks can be seen dispersed in
the entire area. The tanks are very favour
ably located in sloping areas so that they
have a considerable command area. The area
behind the tanks are places of severe ero
sion due to sheet flow, which carried not
only water into the tanks but also aids in
the silting up of the tanks.
LAND CAPABILITY
The land use capability or land suitability
is the potential capacity of a given tract
of a land to support different types of land
utilization under given cultural and socio
economic conditions (Vink, 1975). The study
area is divided into six 'land classes' of
land capability - limitation of classes
based on different attributes like landform,
slope, soil, drainage, erosion, groundwater
potential and present land use. The areal
distribution of land capability classes is
shown in Fig.4. Each land class is assigned
a productive ranking based on the assessment
of its capability limitations. Though the
land ranking has been done with an objective
to distinguish one land class from another,
a certain degree of subjective judgement is
unavoidable. The purpose of studying diffe
rent land classes is to ascertain the extent,
location and quality of land, with a view to
assess their suitability for a specific
purpose of land use and land cover, and for
proper management of the land resources of
part of Rajampet taluk, Cuddapah district,
Andhra Pradesh. The land class with excel
lent capability and little limitations is
ranked I, and land class with least capabi
lity and many limitations is ranked VI.
Mechanical farming is possible in the
classes I to IV.
1. Cheyyeru fluvial plain
Cheyyeru fluvial plain is the most produc
tive land class with excellent capability
and with minimum limitations and is hence
ranked as Class I. It is a river built
plain. The plain is almost flat with less
than 0°30' slope. The groundwater potential
is very high and the water level is at 0.4
to 4.0 m below ground level. The major
crops grown in this plain are paddy (Oryza
sativa), groundnut (Arachis hypogea),
jowar (Sorghum vulgare), bajra (Pennisetum
typhoides), korra (Setaria italica), and
ragi lEleusine coracana). This type of
land requires only simple management prac
tices to maintain soil/productivity like
use of fertilizers, green manures and
gypsum (to improve permeability).
2. Narrow fluvial plain
This river plain is built up by Patagunjana
river, Pulang Eru and other small streams.
The slope is less than 0°45‘. It has great
capability with very few limitations and is
ranked II in the order of productivity rank
ing. The depth to water varies from 1 to
4 m. Paddy, jowar, bajra, groundnut and
gingelly (Sesamum indicum), are the domi
nant crops being grown in this land class.
It requires more of fertilizers, green
manures and gypsum to maintain the land
productivity.
3. Broad valley fill area
It is filled up with unconsolidated collu-
vio-fluvial material. The slope varies
between 0°30' to 1°. Red loamy soil is
predominant in this area under slight to
moderate erosion. The groundwater potential
is very good to high, depth to water varies
from 2.7 to 14.7 m below ground level. It
is also dominant with great capability and
a few limitations, and is ranked III in the
order of productivity ranking. The major
crops grown in this area are paddy, ground
nut, bajra, jowar, korra, ragi and pulses.
The fertility status could be raised by the
application of bulk organic manures and
chemical fertilizers.
4. Narrow valley fill area
It is filled with unconsolidated colluvio-
fluvial material. Black cotton soil (light
- moderately deep to deep) is predominant
in the area. This area has gentle to mode
rate slope of 1° to 2°. It has moderate to
low capability and moderate limitations of
mass movement, hence it is ranked IV. The
important crops in the area are bajra,
jowar, paddy, gingelly, pulses and millets.
The groundwater potential is good, soil
erosion is active on the hill slopes and
accretion in the valley floors. Combined
application of Nitrates and Phosphates gives
good response. Acid forming fertilizers and
super phosphates are best suited for these
soils. Under irrigated conditions provi
sion of adequate drainage is necessary.
