Author : Htein Linn

Summary : Land suitability assessment of rice, groundnut, sesame, pigeonpea and green gram using FAO and AHP frameworks allows for an efficient use of land resources in the dry zone of Mandalay Region in Myanmar. Climate, slope and soil characteristics were analyzed in the evaluation of biophysical attributes using FAO framework. Results from the biophysical land suitability assessment were aggregated with the judgments of local farmers and experts on biophysical, economic infrastructure, and social attributes using the AHP framework, a multi-criteria decision-making tool. In the assessment using the FAO framework, no land units were highly suitable (S1) for all selected crops. The moderately
suitable class (S2) represented a coverage area of 2.2%, 52.2%, 26.6%, 10.9%, and 4.1% in rice, groundnut, sesame, green gram, and pigeonpea, respectively. Marginally suitable class (S3), was found in 83.7% (rice), 45.4% (groundnut), 70% (sesame) and 87% (both green gram and pigeonpea) in the coverage area. Among the crops in unsuitable lands, rice and pigeonpea were widely found in 14.1% and 8.8% of the total land, respectively. Soil fertility was the main constraint to all selected crops in land suitability assessment. Other constraints were effective soil depth in pigeonpea, and climate and soil texture in sesame. Rice suitability assessment identified limitations related to climate, soil texture, soil erosion, and soil depth. In the assessment using AHP framework, Meikhtila is mostly suited to groundnut (52.1%) while Wundwin is well suited to green gram (82.2%) as S2. Moderately suitable land for rice occurred in Meikhtila (24%) and in Yamethin (21.2%). All selected crops were widely cultivated in marginal lands in all townships, except Meikhtila and Wundwin, where rice and pigeonpea were also observed to be widely grown in unsuitable lands. Land suitability assessment by AHP framework revealed that chemical soil properties, climate and irrigation facilities, revenue and cost ratio, soil physical condition, labor force and market access were the major constraints for the selected crops.