Land suitability evaluation of Gonbad- e-Kavous township for rainfed barley cultivation using analytical hierarchy process

Toevaluate land suitability in Gonbad-e-Kavous township for rainfed barley cultivation, spatial analysis of geographic information system (GIS) and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) were used. For this purpose, firstly agroecological requirements of crop wasidentified according to scientific resources. Thematic requirement maps were then provided. Studied environmental variables were annual, autumn, spring and May precipitations, average, minimum and maximum temperatures, germination temperature, the maximum temperature in heading and grain filling stages, slope percent, elevation, slope aspect, OM, pH, and EC. Then, each layer was classified into four classes (high suitable, suitable, less suitable and non-suitable). The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was used to determine the weight of criteria by using the questionnaires analysis sheet. In this study, the results showed that about 35.79% and 24.10% of agricultural lands in Gonbad–e-Kavous township were located in the high suitable and suitable zones for rainfed barley, respectively. These regions were identified in the south of this township. In these zones, there are not limitation factors for barley cultivation according to precipitationand temperatures variables, slope percent, elevation and soil characteristics. In this evaluation, the less suitable (24.19%) and non-suitable (15.92%) regions were located in the central, north, and northeast of Gonbad–e-Kavous. In addition,these areas were faced by at least one limitation factors in environmental variable. Results showed that the limitation factors were including: non-suitable May and spring precipitations, low content of organic matter and high EC and slope percent>16.