Evaluation of the suitability of potato cultivation areas in South Korea based on climate and soil conditions.

Abstract

Changes in dietary patterns have led to a decrease in rice consumption, raising demands for the cultivation of alternative crops that meet the current requirements. Potatoes are highly productive and can be stored for a relatively long period, thereby ensuring adequate income for farmers; however, optimal cultivation is necessary to maximize yield. This study proposes optimal cultivation regions for potato considering climate and soil conditions. The CLIMEX model was developed to evaluate climatic suitability, while the soil suitability was scored based on five soil characteristics. The final areal suitability for potato cultivation was classified into 4 levels: very suitable, suitable, marginal, and unsuitable. Overall, 36.5% of South Korea had very suitable climate, but areas with the best values for soil conditions were approximately 10% of the climatically suitable areas. When considering the climate and soil conditions simultaneously, climatic suitability and soil condition were inversely related, resulting in only 1.2% of optimal areas with Jeju Island as the most suitable area. Because both climate and soil conditions need to be suitable for growing crops, this study can provide potential paddy-cultivation areas for potato cultivation and a method for evaluating suitable areas for crop cultivation.