This question pertains to call of the day Vasu , so important , but still somehow under-emphasized. Recently , we finished this exercise on citrus. Therefore , i can share my experiences on this very important issue. We first developed a crop boundary based on distribution of different cultivars in different parts of the country as epicentres of production , called major production centres. We have spatial maop of AERs and AESRs superimposed over crop boundaries , then through layering of soil depth , pH , texture , soil reaction and whatever dat in spatial domain , you have , can further be super-imposed to work out the threshold limits as suitability criteria , called multiple criteria . Such concepts can be replicated to any crop.
To a great extent, soil scientists do this when they classify and map soil types. They include various criteria or attributes such as is sometime put into GIS such as slope, erodibility, flooding potential, plasticity, drainage class, whether hydric or not, nutrient limitations such as spodisols, drainage limitations such as hard pan, etc. Other suitability criteria may be slope limitations, location too close to urban areas, size of tract, rare habitats important to species such as wetlands, etc. The USDA NRCS has criteria they use to identify prime farmlands, you might consult their listing of criteria. Probably this may be as simple as an internet search.
While doing so , such multi-criteria will become perhaps more effective , if accompanied with crop suitability criteria as well. And such crop suitability criteria will be dictated by the soil type at family and series level of soil taxonomy.
Dear Dr. A.K. Srivastava,
Many thanks for sharing your work sir. I am trying to develop a land evaluation method based on consideration of all the factors affecting the production of particular crop, in a local area. This is my first attempt and I am trying to design a weightage method for different properties as they vary in their magnitude in the influence on crop. The weight factor could be decided based on the expert opinion, review of literature, etc of the area under study. The objective is to develop a methodology inclusive of all factors for suitability evaluation. However, the factors such as site characteristics, fertility, physical, and chemical properties can be derived individually and they can be integrated into an index value either by taking the percentile or normalization procedure to avoid bias of assigning over / under weight to a particular factor.
I will take the points you mentioned into account. Many thanks
Dr. W.F.Hansen,
Its the same way I am trying to develop a multi criteria approach based method for a semi-arid local area in India. I hope your inputs will help me.
Thanks and regards..
Vasu , please do not take all the factors at a time. Enlist the various properties , shortlist them under each category , then address them . But , validation with field data I s equally paramount .
Sir,
The properties will be grouped and I will carefully select the properties for different categories then they will be added as you suggested. I also mentioned this in my previous comment.
In Mexico have worked this issue: Alejandro Ceballos -Silva and Jorge Lopez -Blanco
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