Land suitability assessment for rice cultivation based on GIS modeling

The main objective of this study was to develop a spatial model for land suitability assessment for rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivation using geographic information system (GIS) techniques. The land mapping units, resulting from the overlay of the selected theme layers, have unique land quality information, on which land suitability is based. Results showed that 55.5% of the study area is highly or moderately suitable for rice cultivation, whereas 34% of that area is unsuitable for rice cultivation due to soil and topographic conditions. The model was also validated with field studies. According to the statistical analysis, there was a significant, positive relationship between land suitability classes and grain yields. Grain yield was significantly affected by land suitability class at the level of P 0.001. The highest grain yield was obtained from rice plots in the S1 class (7287 kg ha^–1), followed by S2 (6872 kg ha^–1) and S3 (3928 kg ha^–1) classes.