Land suitability for maize at different land use types and spatial planning zones: an analysis using GIS

This study examines land suitability for maize at different land use types and spatial planning zones in Mamminasata region, and identifying spatial matching between present land uses and their changes and spatial planning zones in the study area. A preliminary stage of the study has been undertaken to produce land suitability map for maize and present land use map of the study area (2014). The former uses FAO method (FAO, 1976), and the later utilizing a combination technique of visual interpretation and image analysis. Land suitability map and its statistics shows that no land suitability class S1 exists in the study area, while S2 comprises 8.059 ha, S3 62.724 ha, and N 105.114 ha. Forest, paddy field, and dryland agriculture, cover the dominant part of the region (approximately 53.509 ha, 40.751 ha, and 3.789 ha, respectively), followed by scrubs and other types of land use. Forest is dominantly found in the upland of Gowa regency, and may become protected and conserved zones for the region. The results of this study were in form of a series of land use information (geographic and descriptive), and land suitability for maize, as well as their match to spatial planning regulation map, which are useful for spatial planning and land resource management. Such information set may give insights into the future anticipation of land use development on the region on a spatial basis, and thus useful for devising the future land resource management control