Ecological planning for the conservation and development of pineapple (Ananas comosus) in Tan Phuoc district, Tien Giang province

Abstract

Land assessment is a specific requirement for the land use. Land assessment results provide the information on land types and natural conditions (land map units) so that we can evaluate the suitability of the land area for agricultural and non-agricultural use. In agriculture, appropriate crops for the land area are usually designed based on the land assessment data. Ecological planning is a process of assessment, evaluation, and decision in order to help authorities design the ideal, appropriate land area and land arrangement for agricultural and non-agricultural purposes. Tan Phuoc district in Tien Giang province is a low and alluvial agricultural area of Dong Thap Muoi. In this area, the income of local people depends majorly on agricultural activities. Pineapple (Ananas cosmosus) with its high economic value is widely cultivated in Tan Phuoc and has an important impact on the income of local people. Nevertheless, most of the land area currently used for pineapple production in Tan Phuoc was the land area previously used for cultivation of other crops. Due to this poor land resource planning, the yield of pineapple was low, and the land and environment were polluted. An adequate land assessment for Tan Phuoc is therefore highly needed so that an ecological planning for pineapple would be properly to improve the yield of pineapple, conserve the environment and support the sustainable development in Tan Phuoc.