Spatial modeling of soil security in agricultural land of Central Java, Indonesia: A preliminary study on capability, condition, and capital dimensions

Abstract

Regulations for land use monitoring in Indonesia are still centered on how to increase production as high as possible, without intensively and carefully securing the soil as a sustainable planting medium. Several approaches have been developed, and the concept of soil security which has emerged in several developed countries, is one of the alternative solutions upheaved that need to be modified to ensure soil sustainability in this tropical environment. The geographical approach using remote sensing and GIS is examined to answer the challenges of the broad and diverse characteristics of Indonesia. This study aims to identify the existing approaches related to land capability assessment for agricultural food commodities, and to be able to develop a method to quantify the soil capability, condition, and capital under the concept of soil security, in Central Java, Indonesia. Parameters used in calculating the capability include land use, rainfall, and soil properties, which are derived from various data, including remote sensing data. The result shows that Central Java has a great potential for agriculture purposes indicated by the high score of soil capability. However, the soil condition and capital status need more support from regulation to be sustainable both physically and economically. Soil security classes as a foundation to establish new regulations will comprehensively codify the importance of strengthening the security of soil and thus of food. Using freely available data, our study can be scaled up to provide a national spatial database on soil security status, and to sustain food security in the country.