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| Soil Survey and Land Use Organisation | |
|---|---|
| Name | Soil Survey and Land Use Organisation |
| Formation | 1960s |
| Headquarters | New Delhi |
| Region served | India |
| Parent organization | Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare (India) |
Soil Survey and Land Use Organisation
The Soil Survey and Land Use Organisation is a specialized agency focused on soil mapping and land use planning in India. It collaborates with institutions such as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, and the National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning to inform projects linked to Irrigation Department (India), Ministry of Rural Development (India), and regional bodies like the State Agricultural Universities (India). The organisation interfaces with international entities including the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank.
The organisation provides technical services in soil survey and land evaluation to support initiatives by the Government of India, provincial agencies such as the Uttar Pradesh Agricultural Department, and research partners like the Indian Agricultural Research Institute and the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Programme. Its remit overlaps with agencies including the Central Arid Zone Research Institute, the National Rainfed Area Authority, and the National Water Development Agency. It supports schemes associated with the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act implementation.
Origins trace to post-independence efforts influenced by advisers from the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Bank alongside domestic planners linked to the Planning Commission (India). Early mapping projects were coordinated with the Survey of India, the Botanical Survey of India, and the Geological Survey of India and informed by collaborations with academics at the Banaras Hindu University, the University of Calcutta, and the University of Delhi. Landmark programmes included soil resource inventories for the Green Revolution era, technical inputs for All India Soil and Land Use Survey cooperatives, and assistance to projects funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Asian Development Bank. Influential figures and institutions involved encompassed staff seconded from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, experts formerly with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, and advisors linked to the Rockefeller Foundation.
Field methods combine techniques established by the International Union of Soil Sciences with remote sensing platforms such as Landsat, Sentinel-2, and MODIS satellites, and geospatial frameworks like the Global Positioning System, Geographic Information System, and tools from the National Remote Sensing Centre. Laboratory analyses reference protocols from the Soil Science Society of America and standards used by the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute and the National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning. Techniques include transect surveys used in projects with the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, pit descriptions aligned to classifications from the International Soil Reference and Information Centre, and mapping methodologies employed in joint studies with the United Nations Environment Programme and the Indian Space Research Organisation. Modeling approaches incorporate inputs compatible with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scenarios and tools developed by institutions like the Indian Institute of Science and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
Classification systems draw upon frameworks by the International Union of Soil Sciences, the FAO World Reference Base for Soil Resources, and regional adaptations used by the National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Maps produced for ministries and agencies such as the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (India) and the Ministry of Water Resources support schemes including watershed development with districts like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Outputs are used by academic partners at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay for interdisciplinary studies linking pedology to hydrology and agroecology.
The organisation’s land evaluation underpins zoning for projects run by authorities such as the National Capital Region Planning Board, the Delhi Development Authority, and state planning boards in Karnataka and Punjab. Tools and guidelines are integrated into programs like the Smart Cities Mission and rural livelihoods schemes administered by the Ministry of Rural Development (India). Planning efforts have supported industries connected to the National Horticulture Board, the Spices Board of India, and irrigation initiatives coordinated with the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited in infrastructure advisory roles.
Casework includes soil and land use surveys for the Taj Trapezium region, watershed projects in the Western Ghats, saline soil reclamation in Gujarat, and dryland agriculture interventions in Rajasthan. Collaborative studies with the National Institute of Hydrology (India), the Central Water Commission, and the Central Arid Zone Research Institute informed floodplain mapping for the Brahmaputra River basin and salinity management in the Sundarbans. Internationally linked projects involved partnerships with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics and the International Rice Research Institute.
Policy inputs feed into national programmes such as the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, and environmental compliance under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. Socioeconomic outcomes affect stakeholders including smallholder farmers in Andhra Pradesh, landless labor groups in Bihar, and cooperative societies in Kerala. Management practices informed by the organisation have been adopted in development projects funded by the World Bank, overseen by the Ministry of Finance (India), and evaluated by international reviewers from the Asian Development Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization.
Category:Soil science organizations Category:Land use planning in India