4.1.2.3 Soil Acidity
Leucaena leucocephala is known to be intolerant of soils with low pH, low P, low Ca, high salinity, high aluminum saturation and water logging Brewbeker, 1987
and has often failed under such condition Hutton, 1981, Oakes and Foy, 1984, Brewbeker, 1987; Shelton, 1994; Blemmy and Hutton 1995. The possible
approaches to use of L.leucocephala on acid soil were reviewed by Hutton 1995 and Blemmy and Hutton 1995 who conclude that high production is not possible
without significant selection and breeding. Recent testing of a wide range of species and seed sources has confirmed the poor survival and low acid soil tolerance of
L.leucocephala species in several sites in Asia Khoa et al., 1997; Castillo et al., 1997
Based on the results of spatial data processing, Kupang District divided into 3 categories of land suitability namely N, S1 and S2. At least 80.35 of Kupang
District or an area of 4,225.78 km
2
obtaining land suitability value S1, the second
Figure 11 Effective Depth
Suitability
Map
sequence followed by the S2 class at 9.91 or an area of 521.13 km
2
, and the last is N class with a total area of 512.24 km
2
, or approximately 9.74 of the size of the entire District of Kupang. Areas included in the category N are a region of land
suitability that has pH value less than 4. Land suitability maps based on the temperature can be seen in the Figure 12.
To get a map of potential land suitability based on soil factors, then performed a pair-wise comparison process which in this stage will be given each soil factor
scores and then performed pair-wise comparison process. Soil score for each factor obtained from the assessment of experts. The following is a table showing the
weighting of each criterion.
Figure 12 Soil Acidity Suitability Maps
Table 9 Pair-wise comparison of sub criteria from Soil factors Texture
pH Effective Depth
Priority Texture
1 0,3
1 22.90
pH 2
1 5
60.08 Effective Depth
2 0,20
1 17.02
CR = 0.04 CI=0.08
Based on calculations in the weighting process, it acquired a land suitability map based on soil factors which consists of three fitness classes, namely the first is
the class S1 of 78.29 or 3,976.18 km2; then followed by the S2 class at 12.09 or 613,93km2 and the last is N class with a land area of 488.71 km2, or around 9.62.
Land suitability maps based on soil suitability factors can be seen in the figure below.
Figure 13 Soil Suitability Map
Kategori