Investigating spatial relationship of soil capability and agricultural land management in Cugenang District, Cianjur Regency

Abstract

Soil as a medium for plant growth is the most important factor in agriculture. Soil capability is closely related to soil fertility which describes soil productivity in producing optimal agricultural production. Cugenang District is located in Cianjur Regency, which has abundant rice crops. Cugenang District also experiences changes in land use and disasters that can decrease the land’s ability. This study aims to map and analyze the capability of the soil and land management of paddy fields and the relationship between the two. This quantitative research uses spatial, statistical, and descriptive analysis. Data were collected by observation, soil sampling, interviews, and secondary data sourced from related institutions. The collected data will be processed using statistical tests and geospatial technology using ArcGIS 10.8 to visualize soil capability and land management of paddy fields geographically. The weighted overlay technique’s spatial analysis results show that most paddy fields have medium and low soil capability. Meanwhile, high soil capability for paddy fields is mostly found in high areas of Cugenang District. The land management of paddy fields is calssified into two combinations. The first combination is between vegetative conservation and fertilization. The second combination is between vegetative conservation, mechanics conservation, and fertilization. Statistical test using chi-square shows a strong relationship between soil capability and land management. The results of this study indicate that the majority of paddy fields with medium soil capability use three methods of land management techniques, while paddy fields with low soil capability use two methods of land management techniques.