Land suitability provides a rational basis to analyze various soil, nutrient and land parameters to arrive at an optimum solution for various problems of natural resources. It includes land capability classification, land irrigability assessment, soil suitability for crops, suitability to plantation/trees/aquaculture, etc. Remote sensing has shown great potential in land suitability model mapping and monitoring due to its advantages over the traditional procedures in terms of cost and time effectiveness in the availability of information over larger areas. Hence, it is proposed to use remote sensing data for the mapping of natural resources. Nevertheless, the surface reflectance spectra over a wide range of objects and conditions should be identified and interpreted into meaningful outputs prior to decision making and applications. Satellite remote sensing images, such as IRS P6 LISS IV MX have been used. Geographic Information System (GIS) has become an important tool because it enables the integration of complex decisions to be taken under multi-variant situations of the resource base and their dynamics. Survey of literature reveals that GIS techniques have been employed for development of land suitability model for irrigation management

Land, a finite resource, is shrinking in extent and deteriorating in quality as a result of expanding urbanization, industrialization, varied civic uses and mismanagement of water resource. The current gap between demand and supply of land, fuel, fodder and timber is likely to worsen in the near future as a consequence of continuing degradation of land and reduced per capita land availability. Irrigation in a particular situation may degrade the land, if not scheduled and planned properly as per the requirement of crop and soil. Suitability evaluation of land for irrigation is a systematic appraisal of land and their designations by categories or classes on the basis of physical and chemical characteristics (Resler, 1979).

Land suitability is defined as the process of collating and interpreting basic inventories of soil, vegetation, climate and other aspects of land in order to identify and make a comparison of promising land use alternatives in terms applicable to the objectives of the evaluation. In summary a multidisciplinary approach is recommended as a basis to the concept of recognition of the fact that land evaluation is meaningful only in relation to a clearly defined use. Land suitability for a specific purpose is a tool to be used in the planning process and should be flexible in order to meet changing conditions and environment. The result will assist the planners and decision makers in their selection of land use alternatives so that available resources may be used most beneficially for development. Irrigation in a particular situation may degrade the land, if not scheduled and planned properly as per the requirement of the crop and soil. Suitability evaluation of land for irrigation is a systematic appraisal of land and their designations by categories or classes on the basis of physical and chemical characteristics. The characteristics of land that determine its suitability for irrigation are topography, wetness, texture, depths to bed rock, CaCO₃, water retention and infiltration rate. Land evaluation aims at assessing the present projection performance level and its production potential for a specific purpose. Remote sensing has shown great potential in the land suitability model mapping and monitoring due to its advantages over the traditional procedures in terms of cost and time effectiveness in the availability of information over larger areas.

Environmental Sciences Journal, Land Suitability Model, Irrigation Management, Remote Sensing, Nagarjunasagar Command Area, Geographic Information System, Satellite Remote Sensing Images, Decision Makers, Traditional Procedures, Water Quality Assessments, Mandal Information System, Watershed Map.