Land suitability assessment for cherimoya in southern Ecuador using expert knowledge and GIS

In recent years, palm oil production has grown rapidly as a result of rising demand. Oil palm plantations have been established on thousands of acres to meet this demand. The objective of this study is to assess the suitability of oil palm production as driven by soil, climate, and land use. The land suitability assessment (LSA) method was adopted in this study. We use geospatial techniques of overlay mapping as a suitable land suitability assessment method, in which the evaluation criteria are recorded as superimposed layers. A land suitability map is produced by integrating these layers into a single layer. The method is also applied to delineate available areas for growing oil palm in Peninsular Malaysia. The findings revealed that suitable soil areas for oil palm production are extensively found in the selected regions of Peninsular Malaysia, in states like Selangor and some parts of Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu with clay loam and sandy loam soil properties, while in the southern region like Melaka, moderate suitability for oil palm production was found due to the domination of clay soil in the area. Highly suitable areas were estimated (mean annual water deficit <150 mm) to be 3688254.00 ha (29.54%) of the total land area; suitable areas (mean annual water deficit <250 mm) were 6540669.00 ha (52.38%); moderately suitable areas were (mean annual water deficit <400 mm) 2227500.00 ha (17.84%), and unsuitable areas (mean annual water deficit >400mm) for oil palm production as a result of poor water availability was 31104.00ha (0.25%). The Land Use Land Cover Map of Peninsular Malaysia revealed the suitable areas to cover an average of 10885001.46 ha (82.45%), water bodies 1239505.58 ha (9.39%), built-up areas (unsuitable areas) 1051544.34 ha (7.96%), and bare surface areas are also not suitable areas for oil palm production at 26509.73 ha (0.20%). This study recommends that oil palm plantations be expanded into areas with highly suitable soils and climates.

Please click here to download the map associated with this article. Land suitability is the fitness of a given type of land for a specific use. Tuber magnatum Pico is one of the most valuable truffles present in Italy. The objective of this study was to assess the suitability of land to favour the growth of T. magnatum, using detailed soil spatial information, for the area around Piana Crixia (a town in Province of Savona, Italy). The work is based on land evaluation framework promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Attributes of the physical environment (soil and wetness characteristics) were assembled and used for the suitability assessment. Each attribute was mapped using a geographical information system and classified on the basis of predefined requirements. Soil and wetness requirements for T. magnatum were identified using expert knowledge of highly productive truffle grounds and a land suitability map at a scale of 1:10,000 was produced by overlaying the generated soil suitability and wetness suitability maps.

HORTICULTURAL POTENTIAL OF ANDEAN FRUIT CROPS EXPLORING THEIR CENTRE OF ORIGIN

GIS-based soil maps as tools to evaluate land capability and suitability in a coastal reclaimed area (Ravenna, northern Italy)

Information on variety specific land suitability analysis was not available in Ethiopia. Therefore, integrated multi-criteria land suitability analysis and mapping for contrasting malt barley varieties was carried out to identify where and how much potentially suitable land exists in the country. The main factors considered for analysis include rainfall and temperature during the growing period, length of growing period, digital elevation models, (altitude and slope data) and soil characteristics (types, pH, depth, texture and drainage). The malt barley varieties included are late maturing Bekoji-1, EH1847 and Holker; and early maturing Grace, IBON 174/03 and Sabini. For classification of the data layers according to the degree of suitability for each variety, various reports and other relevant information were reviewed and used in defining the limits of the suitability ranges of malt barley varieties. The overall suitability was computed by multiplying the selected criteria weight by the assigned sub-criteria score and summing these values in the ArcGIS Model Builder. The analysis showing the extent and patterns of suitable land area available for the selected malt barley varieties are presented in the form of tabular data and maps. Highly suitable areas for these varieties include: 125,332 ha for Bekoji-1; 124,004 ha for EH1847; 775,312 ha for Grace; 125,356 ha for Holker; 1,677,388 ha for IBON 174/03; and 307,952 ha for Sabini. The results suggest that current improved malt barley varieties can be targeted for scaling out in the identified land suitability classes in the highlands of Ethiopia. Results also suggest that future research and development works should give priority for developing early maturing, acidic and waterlogging soil tolerant malt barley varieties. The results can be useful for policy and decision making to ensure land resources are used in the most productive and sustainable ways and solve the mismatches between current land use and land suitability for malt barley varieties in the country.

In our research we investigated the optimal utilization of land resources for agricultural production in Tabriz County, Iran. A GIS-based Multi Criteria Decision Making land suitability analysis was performed. Hereby, several suitability factors including soils, climatic conditions, and water availability were evaluated, based on expert knowledge from stakeholders at various levels. An Analytical Hierarchical Process was used to rank the various suitability factors and the resulting weights were used to construct the suitability map layers. In doing so, the derived weights were used, and subsequently land suitability maps for irrigated and dry-farm agriculture were created. Finally, a synthesized land suitability map was generated by combining these maps and by comparing the product with current land use SPOT 5 satellite images. The resulting suitability maps indicate the areas, in which the intensity of land use for agriculture should increase, decrease or remain unchanged. Our investigations have revealed that 65676 hectares may be suitable for irrigation and 120872 hectares may be suitable for dry-farm agriculture. This indicates a substantial potential to satisfy the significantly increasing regional demand for agricultural products. The results of our research have been provided to the regional authorities and will be used in strategic land use planning.

In countries with high population growth and migration potential, such as Türkiye, agricultural lands are gradually decreasing due to the increase in food demand and the misusage policies and urbanization applied to the lands. Land suitability activities carried out within the scope of agricultural sustainability in order to increase agricultural production and soil productivity are important. This study focuses on identifying the agricultural lands suitable for wheat cultivation by evaluating the Konya closed basin in the Central Anatolia Region of Türkiye by using a hierarchy developed with the integration of the AHP method, which is one of the GIS and MCDM techniques. Within this framework, 15 criteria were delineated under 4 main headings as meteorological criteria, topographic criteria, soil criteria, infrastructure and economic criteria and their weight values for their sub-criteria were calculated. The most effective criteria were determined as the average temperature of October (0.1379), followed by the average annual temperature (0.1300) and the land use capability (0.1191). Finally, the land suitability map was created for wheat cultivation. According to the suitability map, 0.39% (15 815 km2) of the study area is found to be very highly suitable for wheat cultivation, 61.24% (2 494 461 km2) is found to be highly suitable in terms of suitability. The districts of Kadinhani, Sarayonu, Altinekin, Cihanbeyli, Kulu, Karapinar and Emirgazi, which are located in the north of the study area, have been determined as very suitable regions for wheat cultivation. This study aims to contribute to the existing literature by identifying precise and suitable areas by combining GIS and AHP in the wheat cultivation site selection process. In the study, a new research perspective is presented by taking into account the uncertainty in the site selection process and the concept of sustainability in four different dimensions: meteorological, topographical, soil, and infrastructure and economic, thus aiming to guide decision-makers for future studies. According the current literature, that no comprehensive study has yet been conducted that covers such a large basin for the wheat plant, which is the raw material of humanity's basic nutritional needs. In addition, the average annual pressure criterion that is not examined in the literature was discussed in the study and its importance for wheat plant development was also examined. Consequently, the outcome of this study delineates that the methods and criteria used in this study may be guiding for site selection for wheat cultivation in future studies covering such wide areas.

Irrigation land suitability assessment and mapping play an imperative role for sustainable utilization of scarce physical land resources. The objectives of this study were to prepare spatial data base of physical land resources for irrigated agriculture and to assess land suitability for irrigation and developing suitable area map for the study area. The study was conducted at Fogera catchment, South Gondar. Soil and water sampling spots were selected based on free and grid survey techniques and their locations were taken using Global Positioning System (GPS). Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques were used to develop irrigation land suitability map of the study area. Attributes of parameters were collected and used for suitability assessment. Attributes used as criteria for irrigation suitability analysis were ECe, ESP, soil depth, texture, pH, top and sub soil stoniness, water table depth, flood hazard, ground water quality (SAR and EC) and slope. Point data with their attribute were arranged and proximity analysis of Arc-GIS was made this resulted into twelve mapping units. The final irrigation suitability map of the project area was derived after overlay analysis. On the basis of stoniness, soil salinity, soil alkalinity, soil depth and groundwater quality it was concluded that 72 percent of the study area is potentially suitable for irrigation and 28 percent was classified as unsuitable (N) due to drainage limitation, flood hazard, texture and slope factors. Of the potentially suitable land, 1 percent was highly suitable (S1), 28 percent was moderately suitable (S2), and 43 percent is marginally suitable (S3).

Rice is one of the most preferred food crops in Nigeria. However, local rice production has declined with the oil boom of the 1970s causing demand to outstrip supply. Rice production can be increased through the integration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and crop–land suitability analysis and mapping. Based on the key predictor variables that determine rice yield mentioned in relevant literature, data on rainfall, temperature, relative humidity, slope, and soil of Oyo state were obtained. To develop rice suitability maps for the state, two MCE-GIS techniques, namely the Overlay approach and weighted linear combination (WLC), using fuzzy AHP were used and compared. A Boolean land use map derived from a landsat imagery was used in masking out areas currently unavailable for rice production. Both suitability maps were classified into four categories of very suitable, suitable, moderate, and fairly moderate. Although the maps differ slightly, the overlay and WLC (AHP) approach found most parts of Oyo state (51.79 and 82.9 % respectively) to be moderately suitable for rice production. However, in areas like Eruwa, Oyo, and Shaki, rainfall amount received needs to be supplemented by irrigation for increased rice yield.

GIS application to identify the potential for certain irrigated agriculture uses on some soils in Western Desert, Egypt

This study delves into the integration of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and geographic information system (GIS) techniques to identify suitable areas for urban development in six districts within the Mersin Metropolitan Area of Turkey. The specific aim is to generate an urban land use suitability map, in order to facilitate informed decision-making for urban development. Drawing on open Landsat satellite imagery and employing the random forest (RF) algorithm, the study spans a fifteen-year period, over which land use/land cover (LULC) changes are measured. Furthermore, a novel approach is introduced by incorporating the urban land use suitability map into an urban growth simulation model developed using a logistic regression (LR) algorithm. This simulation forecasts urban growth up to 2027, enabling planners to evaluate potential development areas against suitability criteria. Findings reveal spatial patterns of land suitability and projected urban growth, aiding decision-makers in selecting optimal areas for development while preserving ecological integrity. Notably, the study emphasizes the importance of considering various factors such as topography, accessibility, soil capability, and geology in urban planning processes. The results showcase significant proportions of the study area as being moderately to highly suitable for urban development, alongside notable shifts in LULC classes over the years. Additionally, the overlay analysis of simulated urban growth and land suitability maps highlights areas with contrasting suitability levels, offering valuable insights for sustainable urban growth strategies. By overlaying the urban land suitability map with a simulated LULC map for 2027, it is revealed that 2247.3 hectares of potential new urbanization areas demonstrate very high suitability for settlement, while 7440.12 hectares exhibit very low suitability. By providing a comprehensive framework for assessing urban land suitability and projecting future growth, this research offers practical implications for policymakers, urban planners, and stakeholders involved in Mersin’s development trajectory, ultimately fostering more sustainable and resilient urban landscapes.

Agricultural Commodity Land Suitability and Geospatial-Based Land Use Planning in Malaka District, East Nusa Tenggara. Data and information on land suitability classes for various plant commodities must be available in Malaka District on a geospatial basis so that they are easily accessible. The technology used is a geographic information system (GIS). The aims of this study were to: (1) obtain land characteristics for land suitability classes, (2) map actual and potential land suitability classes, (3) land use plans based on land suitability, (4) provide a land suitability information system. This research was conducted in two sub-districts in Malaka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. The analysis carried out in this study included: physiographical analysis, field surveys, soil analysis in the laboratory, land suitability analysis, making land suitability maps and land use planning maps, building a geospatial-based land suitability information system. The actual land suitability class for food crops, horticulture and plantations is classified as marginal suitable (S3wa1wa2wa3rc3na1na2na3eh1eh2Ip1) to unsuitable (Nwa2xc) limiting rainfall, dry months, humidity, effective depth, N-total, P2O5, K2O, salinity, slope, erosion hazard and rocks surface. Improvement efforts include tillage, fertilizing urea, phonska, KCl, making drainage channels, setting planting times, making ponds and making bench terraces. Potential land suitability classes are very suitable (S1), moderately suitable (S2wa1wa2rc3xceh1eh2Ip1) to marginally suitable (S3wa2) limiting rainfall, dry months, effective depth, salinity, slope, erosion hazard and surface rocks. West Malaka and Central Malaka Districts first priority in flat areas to develop corn, cassava, cashew nuts, green beans, shallots, tomatoes and watermelons as an alternative. Whereas in the Central Malaka District, the hilly relief is more suitable for coconut, cocoa and cashew plantations and the karst hill relief is an alternative for the development of corn, cassava, green beans, shallots, tomatoes and watermelons.

The main objective of this study was to develop a Geographic Information Systems-based model for land suitability assessment for guava, olive and date palm in the North-western coast of Egypt. Soil, climatic and landscape database as well as satellite image have been integrated through Geographic Information Systems (GIS). A Landsat ETM+ image dated 2001, was classified using maximum likelihood classifier to produce land use/land cover map. Physical and chemical analyses of 57 soil profiles were interpolated to produce continuous land characteristic maps that are relevant to the requirement of the considered crops. These maps with climate and land cover map were integrated using GIS to produce land suitability maps for guava, olive and date palm. Two types of land suitability maps were produced in this study namely: Continuous land suitability maps and conventional land suitability classified maps. For each of them six land suitability maps were produced for the three crops in which three are for actual land suitability and the other three for potential land suitability. It was found that the suitability was higher for date palm followed by olive and the lowest suitability was assigned for guava.

Climate and soil suitability zonation for Litchi (Litchi chinensis) in India using geo-science tool-based analytical hierarchy process

The main purpose of this work is to assess the suitability of land for cultivation of the main agricultural crop of Western Siberia, namely spring wheat. The algorithm of land suitability assessment was developed on the territory of the test plot of land-use of CJSC Mirny, Kochenevsky District, Novosibirsk Region. For assessment of land suitability on the basis of expert knowledge, criteria related to relief and soil, not only known but also specific, inherent in the area under consideration, have been identified. In the absence of information on the topography and relief of the territory under consideration, the spatial database of geodata was created based on the results of high-resolution digital aerial photography from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Elementary surfaces (ESs) at the micro-relief level have been determined with the help of GIS tools. Two most popular methods of obtaining criterion weights have been analysed: Analytic Hierarchy Process and the direct ranking method, and under certain conditions, a connection between these methods have been established. To assess the land suitability, the land suitability indices of selected ESs were calculated using GIS-MCDA (Multiple-Criteria Decision Analysis) method Weighted linear combination. Based on the value of land suitability index for all ESs, belonging to a certain suitability class according to FAO classification has been established. A map of land suitability with an assessment of spring wheat sowing expediency was obtained.