MAPPING LAND SUITABILITY FOR SOME CROPS IN NINH THUAN PROVINCE

Abstract

Ninh Thuan is a coastal province in the South Central Coast region of Viet Nam, with extreme weather conditions, arid soil, and desertification. The province's population continues to confront several challenges because agriculture remains the primary source of income for the locals. To construct land use plans and as a foundation for research on creating sustainable agricultural models, it is crucial to determine the natural suitability of crops. In this study, the authors used the FAO-UN's framework for land evaluation combined with Instruction for agricultural production land evaluation (TCVN 8409-2012) to assess the land suitability of natural factors for 4 main crops: grapes, apples, green beans, and sugarcane. These are the outcomes: 313 land units (LMUs) in the province, 285 LMUs are suitable for Green beans, 254 LMUs are suitable for sugarcane, 260 LMUs are suitable for apples, and 254 LMUs are suitable for grapes, and 28 LMUs are not suitable for any of the above 4 land use types.