Abstract
Cropland suitability is assessed as a part of the land assessment process, in which arrival capacity is compared to prerequisite requirements. The goal of this research is to determine the various zones of land suitability for crops, as well as the impact of various elements on cropland. Several studies have been made to look into the suitability of cropland in various parts of India and West Bengal, but the Jungle Mahal region in the extreme western part of West Bengal, India, has not been considered, despite the fact that the livelihood of the socially backward population is largely dependent on crop cultivation. The Jungle Mahal region is in the far western section of West Bengal, India, and the people who reside there are mostly from a backward group that rely on agricultural cultivation for a living. As a result, it is critical to understand how the areal layout influences crop adaptability and which factors contribute to restrict the agricultural activity in this area. To achieve the goal of the study, the multi-dimensional parametric dataset has been used, likely topographical data, soil map, soil moisture, land use/land cover, soil texture, drainage density, slope, soil depth, and soil PH along with satellite data obtained from various government and non-government organisations. Researchers have used the Multiple Influencing Factors (MIF) technique to evaluate the weightage of various influencing variables or thematic layers, and then weighted overlay analysis to use geospatial integrated techniques for spatial mapping of viable cropland areas. From the north-western to the south-eastern parts of the territory, the results demonstrate a wide range of agricultural suitability among the community development blocks. The five types of cropland suitable zones have been determined from the results of the study: non-suitable, low suitable, moderately suitable, highly suitable, and very highly suitable. The box plot depicts the heterogeneity and inconsistency of different types of croplands across the study area. The findings of the study can lessen intra- and inter-regional variations in cropland availability, allowing stakeholders to prepare better for a strong crop yield in the future, ensuring the state’s food security.
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Mandal, P., Mandal, S., Halder, S. et al. Assessing and mapping cropland suitability applying geospatial and MIF techniques in the semiarid region with an integrated approach. Arab J Geosci 14, 1948 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-08171-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-08171-3