Physical Land Suitability Analysis for Wheat and Sorghum Crops Using Gis and Maximum Square Root Test Method: in Case of Wogdie Woreda, South Wollow, Ethiopia
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Date
2014-06-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Land suitability analysis is the evaluation of specific area of land in terms of their suitability for a defined use. Land suitability analysis for agricultural crops is an important step for sustainable land use in order to get the optimum benefit out of the land. In this study, physical land suitability analysis for wheat and sorghum crops in Wogdie Woreda, South Wollo, Ethiopia was made using GIS technology. The parametric square root test mathematical formula and FAO methodology were applied to identify suitability level of the land for these crops. Factors considered in the evaluation of the land suitability analysis for wheat and sorghum crop were soil (depth, texture, organic carbon, drainage and type), slope, temperature and rainfall. As the result showed 20.5 % and 79.5% of the study area were classified as moderately suitable and marginally suitable, respectively, for wheat crop production. Similarly, 3.3%, 93% and 3.7% of the study area were classified as moderately suitable, marginally suitable and currently not suitable, respectively, for sorghum crop production. The result showed that, there is no land classified as highly suitable, currently and permanently not suitable for wheat crop production, and there is no land, which is classified as highly suitable and permanently not suitable for sorghum crop. Therefore, integrating parametric square root test method with GIS in land suitability analysis for agricultural crops is a meaningful technique. Hence, to increase the choice of land for different crop production, further study for different land utilization types including other factors are necessary.
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Gis, Land Suitability Analysis, Land Utilization Type, Wogdie Woreda, Parametric Method