Determination of suitable lands for rice cultivation in Edirne plain: GIS supported FAO limitation method

Concerns about the future of agricultural production and food security in recent years have increased the importance of agricultural land evaluation assessment studies for different agricultural products. Performing studies using geographical information systems (GIS) techniques provides faster and more reliable results than traditional techniques. Given that, regional studies for land suitability assessment to improve product quality have gained momentum. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the land suitability for paddy cultivation in Edirne Plain, where most rice farming cultivation occur in Turkey. To achieve this, we used GIS-supported Food and Agriculture Organization limitation method. The study model is established based on 5 m high-resolution spatial data and the analysis of land quality indexes that affect paddy cultivation, such as Nutrient Elements Availability Index, Soil Quality Index, Climate Quality Index, Irrigation Quality Index, Socio-economic Quality Index and (Agricultural Mechanization Quality Index). The results indicated that 25.41% of Edirne Plain is highly suitable, 53.85% is moderately suitable, 15.93% marginally suitable, and 4.81% unsuitable for paddy cultivation. It was determined that the current paddy cultivation area is far below its potential. Although 79.26% of the study area is suitable for rice cultivation, only 16.90% of the area is currently used as paddy farming which means 62.36% of potential rice cultivation area is not used as its potential. The findings of the present study are essential particularly for local administrators and policy makers to use the available land resources effectively for sustainable agricultural production. The present study points to an important direction for future research and contributes to regional managers and policymakers to better understand rice cultivation and planning accordingly in the region.