Degraded Soils in Rice-Wheat Areas of Indo-Gangetic Plain and Their Economic Evaluation-A Case Study of Punjab State, India

摘要

Soil degradation status of Punjab state has been prepared by adopting GLASOD (Global Assessment of Soil Degradation) methodlogy as outlined by Oldeman, 1988. The results indicated that the soils in the study area suffered due to built up of water logging (1.3%), salinity-sodicity (3%), water erosion (13.3%). In combined almost 7.8 per cent soils affected by various types of soil degradational problems. The district wise value productivity based on economic evaluation of these degraded soils shows considerable inter district variation in the state at current and constant prices. It has been estimated that total losses due to degraded lands (about 8,96,000 ha) occurred was 484 million rupees and losses per hectare was Rs. 5,401 (based on current prices, 1994-1996). At constant prices (1979-1982), the total losses were Rs. 1,709 million and per hectare losses were Rs. 1,907. At state level the losses as per cent to total value productivity was 18. It may be inferred from the studies that soil degradation status can be used very effectively as the base data for computing the economic losses of different crops.