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Land suitability analysis for wheat and sorghum crops in Wogdie District, South Wollo, Ethiopia, using geospatial tools

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Abstract

Land suitability analysis is the process of evaluation of a specific area of land in terms of suitability for a defined use. Land suitability analysis for agricultural crops is an important modern step to identify suitable and sustainable land use practices in order to get optimum benefits out of the land. In the present study, physical land suitability analysis for wheat and sorghum crops in Wogdie District, South Wollo in Ethiopia, was made using geospatial techniques. Parametric square root test mathematical formula was applied to identify suitability levels of the land for these crops. Factors considered in the evaluation were depth, texture, organic carbon, drainage and type of soil, slope, temperature, and rainfall. Out of the total extent of 1101 km2, 20.5 and 79.5 % of the extents were classified as moderately suitable and marginally suitable, respectively, for wheat, and 3.3, 93, and 3.7 % of the extents were classified as moderately suitable, marginally suitable, and currently not suitable for sorghum, respectively. In the present study area, no land was classified as highly suitable and currently and permanently not suitable for wheat, and highly suitable and permanently not suitable for sorghum. Results of the present investigation indicate that long-term irrigation activities would affect land suitability for agricultural potentiality of the area. Integrating parametric square root test method with geospatial technology in land suitability analysis for agricultural crops can be used as a useful tool to select areas for different crop production in various landscapes.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, for the financial assistance and facilities. We also thank the Food and Agricultural Organization, National Meteorological Service Agency, and Agricultural and Rural Development Office of Wogdie District of Ethiopia for providing support for field research. The authors would like to express appreciation to the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments to the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Mohammed Motuma & K.V. Suryabhagavan

  2. Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    M. Balakrishnan

Authors
  1. Mohammed Motuma
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  2. K.V. Suryabhagavan
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  3. M. Balakrishnan
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Correspondence to K.V. Suryabhagavan.

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Motuma, M., Suryabhagavan, K. & Balakrishnan, M. Land suitability analysis for wheat and sorghum crops in Wogdie District, South Wollo, Ethiopia, using geospatial tools. Appl Geomat 8, 57–66 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12518-016-0168-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12518-016-0168-5

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