JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

  Extension of cultivation areas becomes gradually impossible due to ever-increasing population growth and urban area development in Iran. Therefore, it is very important to use the existing cultivated lands more efficiently. Land suitability evaluation makes the sustainable use of the lands feasible. The objective of this study was qualitative, quantitative and economic suitability evaluation of irrigated croplands for wheat, maize and sesame in Mehran plain, Ilam Province. Soil survey in the field, laboratory analysis of the soil samples, qualitative, quantitative and economic evaluation were different successive stages of this research. In qualitative evaluation, climatic, topographic and soil suitability classes were determined according to the degree of the matching with plant requirements, by parametric (square root) method. Quantitative and economic evaluations were done based on observed, potential and marginal yield analysis. Results of the qualitative land evaluation showed that most of the land units were classified moderately suitable for given crops because of soil limitations. Qualitatively, most of the land units were classified in the same classes as, or in lower classes than quantitative suitability classes for wheat and maize production, due to high management level at the farms. Whereas quantitative classes of sesame were determined lower than qualitative classes induced by low management level for this crop. Economic land suitability classification showed that the wheat production was the most economic land utilization type. Results of the economic assessment suggested that the cultivation of wheat in rotation with sesame would produce the most income for different units and could be increased in future using improvement in management level in the study area for sesame cultivation.