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A rapid reconnaissance soil survey of Markapur, Kambham, Giddalur and Komarulu mandals of Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh was carried out in 2009-10 for soil resource mapping using a hard copy of geo-referred false colour composite image of IRS-P6, LISS-III, and Survey of India (SOI) topo-maps no. 57 I/16, 57 M/1, 57 M/2, 57 M/3, 57 M/4, 57 M/5 and 57 M/6 of 1:50,000 scale as auxiliary data set. The study area lies between 15°30' to 16°00' N latitudes and 78°45' to 79°30' E longitudes with total geographical area of 3, 52,185 ha. Alluvium, quartzite, sandstone and shale were main geologic formation. Physiographically, soils of hill side slope and undulating pediments developed over mixed geology of quartzite, sandstone and shale 1apped into 9 mapping units. Likewise, Soils of pediplains and stream bank developed over shale are light to dark coloured, deep to very deep and have fine loamy to fine texture and low fertile. These soils are mostly under rainfed cultivation in pediplains and waste land in stream bank extended over 51.2% of the total area and mapped into 7 mapping units. Based on soil limitations, soils of undulating pediments and hill side slope are grouped under land capability class VI and VII whereas soils pediplains and stream bank was under land capability class II and III respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid reconnaissance soil survey of Markapur mandal of Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh was carried out in 2009-10 using geo-referred false colour composite image (IRS-P6, LISS-III) and Survey of India (SOI) topo-maps (1:50,000 scale) set. The soils of hill side slope and undulating pediments developed over quartzite, sandstone and shale complex was shallow to moderately deep, brown (7.5 YR 4/4) to dark brown (7.5 YR 3/4) in colour, well drained with poor fertility. These soils are under forest, open scrub and rainfed farming in patches. The soils of pediplains and stream bank from shale was yellowish red (5 YR 4/6) to dark reddish brown (5 YR 3/3), deep to very deep low fertility and cultivated (rainfed) in pediplains but waste land in stream bank. The soils of undulating pediments and hill side slope were grouped under land capability class IV and VII whereas soils of pediplains and stream bank were placed under land capability class II and III respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]