GIS APPLICATION FOR LAND SUITABILITIES OF LOCAL FRUITS CULTIVATION: CASE STUDY DURIAN CULTIVATION IN PURWOREJO AREA- INDONESIA

ABSTRACT: Indonesia has many varieties of local fruits, one of those is durian. Most of people prefer to eat this fruit. Although their price are relatively expensive, but some people still have a great willingness to buy them. Durian could growth in a certain condition or habitat that fulfill some requisites for growing. For the sake of food security, Indonesian government made a special cultivation program, to plant durian as one of local fruit crops with a high economic value and sustain the economy. Geospatial Information Agency as a constructor of thematic geospatial information in Indonesia can play an important role in terms of conducting related research to find appropriate location for durian plantation and cultivation, especially in multi crops land. GIS analysis supported by geological data, soils, slope, elevation, climate as well as hydrological condition are used to find the suitable location. The suitability level for durian cultivation divided into 4 classes as follows: most suitable, suitable, less suitable and not suitable. These spatial information can be applied by farmers or Ministry of Agriculture in developing durian cultivation. By getting the appropriate planting locations, farmers expected to produce better fruit quality in a higher price. If this fruit cultivation is carried out by farmers in several regions in Indonesia in the long term, it will possible to reduce the amount of imported fruit and support national food security without any dependency to other country. 1