Sunday Sep 29, 2024
Sunday Sep 29, 2024
Friday, 23 August 2013 01:54 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
In this exercise, the entire island was considered as the study area. The evaluation of land in terms of the suitability classes was based on the method as described in FAO guidelines (1981) for land evaluation and this was carried out using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software ArcGIS.
GIS (Geographical Information Systems) technology is playing an increasing role in agriculture production throughout the world by helping farmers increase production, reduce costs and manage their land more efficiently.
The essence of land suitability evaluation is to compare or match the requirements of potential suitability of soil for fruit crops with the characteristics of each kind of land. Unique information of land qualities for fruit crop suitability was collected from existing maps and information of Sri Lanka.
Data on soil groups, landform, elevation, rainfall and agro ecological data were all collected and were categorised into separate themes. Maps were then overlaid one on top of each other to reveal areas with the best soil (land) suitable for each crop. The data was encoded in a GIS database and used Simple Limitation Approach (SLA) to produce tentative land suitability maps and land suitability classes matching the crop requirements were determined. Tentative soil suitability maps were then field checked and compared with actual boundaries which were ascertained using GPS readings. Thus, the study revealed that prediction of suitable areas for selected fruit crops can be performed using ArcGIS (a practice carried out by many developed countries that use the technology to ensure high yielding crops).
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is a technology that considers the ‘location’ component of data. Research reveals that almost 80% of all 
data has a location component to it, so it’s becoming vital that the ‘location’ aspect of data is considered to make of sense of it, which is what GIS does. It helps analyse data on a map whilst amalgamating it with other data (like census data, disaster maps, poverty maps, soil condition maps and other data attributable to that location) and perform analysis and make decisions. Traditionally, GIS was only used for creating various maps but now it’s becoming a vital tool for decision making 
A GIS map carries a significant amount of data as the example above explains and all that data adds up to a sequential understanding of almost any subject or topic under study.
Apart from agriculture, GIS is used in aid and development, business-intelligence, defence and intelligence, education, government, health and human services, mapping and charting, natural resources, public safety, utilities and communications and transportation. Benefits can be seen across many fields. ArcGIS, solely distributed by GIS Solutions Ltd., has been a preferred software for GIS by most Sri Lankans.
