Geo-environmental assessment in semiarid region of Pulivendula tehsil, Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh, India

We aim to integrate geo-environmental datasets in drought afflicted Pulivendula tehsil, Kadapa district for preserving agro-ecosystems with erratic seasonal rains and rapid degradation of natural resource base. An agroecosystem model was devised based on three key inputs which were characterized with agroclimatic data, geopedological data from semi-detailed survey, and a delineation of potential areas for groundnut and banana under drip irrigation. Results of 21 years of rainfall analysis indicate that the region receives 650mm of rainfall, providing a productivity of 660kg/ha for groundnut and less than 300kg/ha for red gram, with measurable decreases in area. We derived four clusters and estimated that 35 percent of the area is at high to extremely high risk of soil erosion with poor soil quality (mean of 22.83%) and significant differences between the groups. Nearly 35K hectares are suitable for banana under drip irrigation and fifty-six thousand hectares are suitable for groundnut cultivation with limitations on rooting depth, topography, coarse fragments, alkalinity, and soil organic matter. Using time series data on crop acreage, productivity, and rainfall in conjunction with geo-environmental data sets under GIS in order to identify ecological health indicators.