The study was conducted to assess soil quality in cotton growing environs of Nilona micro-watershed in Yavatmal district, Maharashtra, covering mainly cotton growing areas. One hundred eighteen surface soil samples were identified for determining physical and chemical indicators of soils. A minimum dataset was developed using expert knowledge for identifying soil quality indicators. Soil quality was determined using concept of relative soil quality index (RSQI). The RSQI was computed for each samples based on the four soil attributes, which are known to exact influence crop productivity in the region. The highest Relative Soil Quality Index (RSQI) was obtained for 86.3% area whereas the lowest was found for 33.8 % area with a mean value of 48.8% area. The results indicate that the conventional approach namely relative soil quality index (RSQI) was positively correlated with average yield values.

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