ICAR's NBSS&LUP Develops India's First Soil Texture Map

The National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP), an ICAR institute headquartered at Nagpur, has developed India's first soil texture map, released on 16 July 2026. It digitises soil classification down to the hectare level nationwide, mapping the relative proportions of sand, silt and clay — the physical property that drives irrigation design, drainage and crop suitability. The bureau combined field surveys, remote sensing, satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to build it. The map supplies village-level data for crop planning and government resource allocation. NBSS&LUP will next map soil water retention and absorption capacity, beginning with Maharashtra and southern India.