Mapping of Soil erosion and Probability Zones using Remote Sensing and GIS in Arid part of South Deccan Plateau, India

The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model by using a large-scale soil mapping dataset, remote sensing, and GIS techniques were adopted to determine the soil erosion vulnerability in part of South Deccan Plateau, India. Based on the detailed soil survey information, 11 soil series were identified, and R, K, LS, C, P factors were computed to assess the soil erosion. Results revealed that annual soil loss was extremely severe (> 40 t/ha/yr) and very severe (20-40 t/ha/yr) in 447.2 ha (15.19%) and 314.3 ha (10.68%) in kharif and 502.73 ha (17.1%) and 907.74 ha (30.8%) in rabi season, respectively. Among the soil series, Mittapalle (MTP) series (17.9%) was highly prone to erosion followed by Venukayagayyapalle (VGP) (16.55%) and Inagalur (IGR) (13.57%) series in both seasons. The Weighted Index Overlay technique was adopted to estimate the soil erosion probability zones and the result showed that erosion risk was high in 8.90% area, medium in 55%, and low in 35% area. Spatial assessment of soil erosion using plot-wise information is a key factor for identifying site-specific suitable soil conservation measures for sustainable crop production.