Exploring Soil Quality Variations across Upper, Middle, And Lower Ganga Regions: Leveraging GIS & Multivariate Statistical Methods to assess Organic Farming Viability

To assess the viability of organic farming by analyzing various characteristics, 26 soil samples were gathered from five states in three Indo-Gangetic regions for the current study. With a median pH of 6.7 and electrical conductivity ranging from 85.27 µs/cm to 425.63 µs/cm, the sites from Upper Ganga Region (UGR) showed favorable soil conditions, leading to higher Soil Quality Index values (0.68 to 0.75; p < 0.05). On the other hand, the Lower Ganga Region (LGR) exhibited neutral to slightly alkaline pH of 7.7, greater EC levels (421.89 µs/cm to 690.75 µs/cm), and lower SQI values (0.55 to 0.62; p < 0.05). The UGR had the highest nitrogen levels (153.87 kg/ha to 172.64 kg/ha; p < 0.05), while the Middle Ganga Region (MGR) had higher amounts of phosphorus (18.76 kg/ha to 24.59 kg/ha; p < 0.05) and potassium (204.15 kg/ha to 235.78 kg/ha). The amounts of each nutrient varied widely. The LGR exhibited higher levels of zinc (range: 48.26 mg/kg to 55.94 mg/kg) and lead (6.25 mg/kg to 8.31 mg/kg; p < 0.05) in comparison to the UGR and MGR, however the concentrations of heavy metals varied. In conclusion, organic farming is feasible along the Ganga basin region; however, because of its favorable soil conditions and higher SQI values, the UGR may be a better location for it, while the MGR & LGR might need more intensive soil management techniques to reduce the risk of contamination and promote sustainable organic farming practices.