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Site Characterization,
Evaluation and Suitability
AGRICULTURE 32
Fundamentals of Crop Science II
Analysis
Exercise no. 1

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P = G + E It is important to have suitable crops planted

in a given soil, landscape, and time of the
year.

P phenotype
G genotype
E environment
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Under actual production setting, not all the OBJECTIVES

ideal requirements for a given crop species 1. Identify the available/existing resources (crops, farm structures, water
could be adequately met. resource, etc.) in a given area;

2. Identify the crops suitable to the given area;

Hence, adjustments in the cultural practices, 3. Sketch a proposed farm layout of the area based on site analysis and
modification of the micro-environment, and evaluation; and
installation of additional infrastructure may 4. Assess a given area or site based on its characters as to its suitability
be required. in a given single or mix farm enterprises.
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LOCATION vs. SITE Crop Enterprise

LOCATION SITE Crop
▪ A geographical position, ▪ The localized area with its ✓a cultivated plant that is grown for agricultural purposes, especially as
food.
given certain physical micro-environment
(climate and soil), biological, Enterprise
and socio-economic factors ✓a project or undertaking, typically one that is difficult or requires effort.
✓a business
at the MACRO-level

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Starting a Crop Production Enterprise Starting a Crop Production Enterprise

Two scenarios SCENARIO 1
1. site, or the actual place where the enterprise ▪ The site is an existing farm property or a chosen base of
is to be established is known and suitable operation, then the most suitable crops are identified. A
crop(s) is/are identified matching of the potentials of the land with the suitability of
2. the crop enterprise is already decided and certain crops is involved.
the suitable site for the enterprise is selected.

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Starting a Crop Production Enterprise

SCENARIO 2
▪ The crop enterprise is first decided, upon then a site is Site Multi-criteria Suitability
chosen Characterization Evaluation Analysis

▪ The market objective is already set and the feasibility study

for crop production (and post-production/processing) may
have been undertaken

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Site Characterization and Evaluation Site Characterization and Evaluation

Site Characterization involves the gathering of information describing the biophysical and
✓the process of describing the biological, physical, social, and economic socio-economic condition of a site and determination of issues,
environment vulnerability, and opportunities for development.

Evaluation
✓analytical assessment
✓determine the importance, effectiveness, or worth of;

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Why do site characterization and Why do site characterization and

evaluation? evaluation?

It will dictate:
Allocation of scarce development investments in agriculture is
✓Cost of production manipulated by the perceived potential of the land as portrayed
✓Farm operations by site characterization methods (Corbett, 1990).
✓Harvesting and transport
✓Accessibility to inputs
Corbett, J.D., S.N. Collis, and R.F. O'Brien, 1998. Almanac characterization tool for Angola,
Sierra Leone, and Liberia. A USAID OFDA CD-ROM publication. A resource base for
characterizing the agricultural and natural environments including a digital library.
Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas A&M University, Blackland Research Center
Report No. 98-02, April 1998, documentation and CD-ROM.

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Elements of site characterization Biological Indicators

1. Existing crops
1.Biological 2. Soil microflora and -fauna
2.Physical 3. Presence of pest and diseases
✓Insect pests
3.Social
✓Pathogen
4.Economic ✓Weeds

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Physical Factors Socio-economic Environment

1. Area and shape 4. Drainage
✓Upland or lowland? 1. Peace and order
1. Soil Condition 2. Manpower availability
✓Fertility
✓Structure 5. Present bodies of water 3. Farmers preferences
✓pH
4. Zoning or other regulations
2. Climatic Condition 6. Location
✓Rainfall pattern 5. Land tenure situation
✓Wind velocity/speed ✓Distance to population centers
✓Climate type ✓Distance from resources 6. Existing facilities
3. Topography 7. Farms within the community
✓Elevation
✓Slope

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Suitability Analysis Suitability Analysis

• “site selection”
• process and procedures used to establish the suitability of a system -
that is, the ability of a system to meet the needs of a stakeholder or
other user.
• 'Suitability is a measure of how well the qualities of a land unit match
the requirements of a particular form of land use.’ (FAO, nd)
• limiting condition principle: the most unfavorable quality determines the
suitability classification.
• subjective assessment principle: suitability classes are raised or lowered
on the basis of judgements of the importance of different factors. Because
subjective assessments are risky, the relevant factors are weighted, and
account is taken of special limitations that may occur if two or more
negative factors occur together.

• principle of arithmetic modelling: the fact that each land quality has an
independent influence on suitability means that land qualities can be
assigned values and manipulated arithmetically to provide a numerical
assessment of overall suitability.

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Suitability Analysis Suitability Analysis

Assign scores using the following as guides (FAO rating): • Prime Agricultural Lands. Prime agricultural lands are areas with none to
moderate limitations with suitability rating of S1 and S2. This means that the land
characteristics have none to minor limitations which do not significantly reduce the
productivity or yield of most crops.
Increasing Suitability

Score Suitability FAO Rating

5 Highly suitable S1 • Marginal Agricultural Lands. Marginal lands are classified areas which have
major limitations in topography, soil depth, rainfall, etc. These soils may also have
4 Moderately suitable S2 low to very low fertility and have a suitability rating of S3.
3 Marginally suitable S3
2 Currently not suitable N1
Permanently not suitable • Lands with Severe Limitations. Lands with severe limitations have
1 N2 characteristics that cannot be readily corrected such as topography and soil depth.
These areas can be upland soils located in rolling to hilly mountainous areas.
These areas have suitability rating of N1 and N2.

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After a thorough evaluation of the conditions Things to do:

of the site, one can decide what... Group 1 (Worksheet 1.1) Group 2 (Worksheet 1.2 and 1.3)
• Site mapping (hand sketch) • Interview the farm manager
• Current lay-out • Inventory
• Area • Crops (age, frequency, planting
✓ crops to grow • Shape
• Topography
distance)
• Existing equipment
✓ cropping systems to follow • Structures (shed, gate)
• Existing crops
• Socio-economic survey

✓ facilities to acquire • Proposed lay-out

✓ capital investment to raise

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Things to do: Things to do:

Group 4 (Agromet Station)

Group 3 (Worksheet 1.4 Physical Factors - Group 4 (Agromet Station) Equipment Purpose Reading Other relevant
(manual/automatic, information
N, P, K, pH) • Conduct interview
frequency – hourly, daily)
• Soil sampling and analysis • Name of in-charge
• Establish the perimeter of the site • Number of staff
• Follow the soil sampling procedure in • Equipment available
the manual • Purpose
• Analyze the soil based on Soil Test Kit • Frequency of reading
(STK) • Other relevant information

Note: take pictures of equipment

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Output for submission: February 5, 2019 Guide in accomplishing Worksheet 1.4

Output Details Group/individual PARAMETER DESCRIPTION RATING
GENERAL __________* • Download Land Evaluation Part
1. Worksheet 1.1 (Group 1) Current and proposed lay-out (hand Group 3_Crop Requirements by Sys et al.
sketch) Physical Factors (PF)
N content Low 1
1993
2. Worksheet 1.2 and 1.3 (Group 2) Inventory and survey Group • Rate the suitability of the site based on
P content Low 1 the crop requirement
3. Worksheet 1.4 • Physical factors Group
➢ N, P, K, pH data from Group 3 K content Sufficient
• Group 1 – Arabica coffee
➢ Rainfall to slope data from Group 4
pH • Group 2 – Mango
• Biological and Socio-economic data
6.4 • Group 3 – Citrus
from Group 2 Annual rainfall (mm) • Group 4 – Oil palm
Note: Raw data will come from the
assigned group but analysis (rating) Annual Mean temp.
should be done by all groups (deg. C)

4. Available weather data in the UPLB Equipment, purpose, others Group Drainage
Agromet Station (Group 4) Elevation
5. Answers to Study Questions Individual
Slope

PF Average

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Next meeting:
• Post-lab discussion on Exercise 1
• Exercise 2 – Land preparation and Field Practices for Upland
Crops

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