4 For getting the proper crop and land on agriculture operation, it is needed
the analyzing of land suitability and revenue cost for each superior crop.
1.3. Scope of Research
This study intended to integrate together remote sensing and GIS to investigated the land suitability of superior commodity in Bantul Regency. The
criteria of land suitability which used in this research were based on Land Suitability Criteria which was published by Center for Soil and Agro Climate
Research Puslittanak Bogor. The investigated areas were not on all of Bantul Regency, but only on the
areas which from image classification were classified as areas that could be operated as crop fields like rice field, dry land, grass and rice dependent of rain
filed. In this research the revenue cost analysis was applied to monoculture
practice of agriculture operation.
1.4. Objectives
The aim of this research is to explore the geographic information systems on defining potential agricultural area based on land suitability and revenue cost
analysis. More specific objectives are: 1.
to provide information about potential area for a certain agricultural crop in Bantul Regency using land suitability analysis, and
2. to determine the most potential area for a certain agricultural crop
using revenue cost analysis.
5
1.5. Thesis Structure
This research work is explained in five chapters. In chapter 1 a brief background is given to introduce the topic and raise preliminary issue on land
suitability and revenue cost. Statement of problem structures real condition issue into a workable research topic.
Chapter 2 describes what available literature has said about land suitability, Geographical Information System, remote sensing, role GIS and remote sensing,
and weighted method analysis. Chapter 3 describes how the research is conducted. It first gives a profile of study area, which is Bantul Regency and to implement
the methodology thus developed. Chapter 4 presents analyze and discuss the results thus obtained. Chapter 5 gives conclusions on the present study and
recommendations
6
2. II. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Land Suitability
Land suitability analysis is to estimate the environment condition in order to determine the crop types that are suitable to be planted on a given area.
Generally, factors that can be considered for land suitability analysis are soil, slope, climate, and water availability. Land suitability analysis is intended to
determine suitable land for cultivating specific crops or other utilization relating to agricultural activities FAO, 1976. Analysis of the criteria for land
characteristics should be done to get information on land suitability, usually by conducting the land evaluation.
Land suitability is a description of compatibility level of a land for certain utilization. Land suitability evaluation is related to evaluation for certain
utilization like rice, corn, etc. Carter 1988 reported that land evaluation is only part of land use planning.
Its precise role varies in different circumstances. In the present context, it is sufficient to represent the land use planning process by following generalized
sequence: recognition of a need for change, identification of aims, and selection of a preferred use for each type of land, decision to implement, implementation and
monitoring of operation.
2.2. Need for Land Suitability Analysis
Land suitability analysis is needed for various purposes in the context of
present day agriculture, for instance, land suitability for sustainable agriculture.
7 The concept of sustainable agriculture or farming SA SF involves
producing quality products in an environmentally benign, socially acceptable and economically efficient way Addeo et al. 2001, i.e. optimum utilization of the
available natural resource for efficient agricultural production. In order to comply these principles of SA one has to grow the crops where they suit best and for
which first and the foremost requirement is to carry out land suitability analysis Nisar Ahamed et al. 2000. So, land suitability analysis has to be carried out in
order to keep the sustainable agriculture.
2.3. Land Suitability Analysis
