Agricultural Land Suitability Analysis for Potato Crop by Using Gis and Remote Sensing Technology, in the Case of Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Potato is one of the most common food crops cultivated in Amhara region. However, the current production supply couldn’t satisfy demands for this crop. As a result, effective method of assessing environmental suitability analysis to increase the production of this crop is needed. A multi factor spatial analysis can effectively assess the environmental suitability of an area for potato cultivation. However, there are no comprehensive spatial Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) of agricultural land suitability analysis for the study yet. In an attempt to underscore its significance, this study conducted GIS and MCDM based land suitability analysis. This approach uses the combination of traditional MCDA and GIS technology. It involves identifying suitability factors, hierarchical organization, standardization, rating and ranking, and weighing the factors selected and finally implementing the suitability model. The evaluation criteria used are elevation, slope, soil, rainfall, temperature variations and poor crop management. They were collected from different government agencies. The ranking and weighting were conducted through pairwise comparison of variables using experts from Amhara Region Agricultural Research Institute. The weights of factors were estimated by computing Eigen values and Eigen vectors of experts’ pairwise ratings of criteria using IDRIS tools. Different suitability maps were prepared by combining MCDA and GIS. IDRIS and ArcGIS 10.3 extension tools were used in this regard as they have the capacity to integrate these modules. Four suitability scenarios were developed using different standardization and combination methods. Using the suitability scenario method, finally physical land suitability analyses were conducted. The results of the analyses disclosed that large area of land on the highland plateau and plain of South Gondar, West Gojjam and Awi are suitable for potato crop cultivation. On the other hand, North Gondar and some part of East Gojjam are not suitable for potato growing.

Keywords: GIS, Remote Sensing, MCDA, Suitability, Eigen vectors