GIS-based Land Suitability Analysis for Mung Bean Production in Arba Minch Zuria District, Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Land Suitability Analysis

Abstract

Land suitability analysis is of vital importance to maximize crop productivity of farming households. This study has aimed to investigate land suitability for mung bean production using the Analytical Hierarchic Process model. Four main criteria (soil, climate, land use land cover and topography), and 8 sub-criteria (slope, soil texture, soil depth, soil pH, soil cation exchange capacity, temperature, rainfall, and soil drainage) were selected to analyze land suitability. The sub-criteria were reclassified into 5 suitability levels: high, moderate, marginal, not suitable, and permanently not suitable. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), was used to determine the perceived weights that each criterion and sub-criteria carry. The land suitability for mung bean production during the October-November-December (OND) season showed by the final map was 32% (high), 26% (moderate), and 42% (marginal). 14%, 62%, and 24%, respectively were the suitability levels designated as high, moderate, and marginal during the January-February-March (JFM) season. Due to the prevalence of the climatic conditions, topography, spatially low lands, and fertile soil, the production of mung bean during the OND season was high. The major factors that impede higher land suitability during the JFM season include rainfall, soil, poor drainage, and slope. The production of mung bean is important in the agricultural sector for many benefits like human nutrition, local market, animal feed, export commodities, and soil fertility maintenance. So, stakeholders such as the district agricultural office, and governmental, and non-governmental actors should encourage farmers to produce more in conducive seasons and relieve food security shortfalls and livelihood problems in the entirety.  

Keywords: Land suitability; Geographic Information System; Analytical Hierarchic Process; Mung bean