Land Suitability Evaluation for Economic Crops in Khuan Kreng Peatland

Abstract

The objective of this research was to evaluate the suitability of land for economic crops in Khuan Kreng Peatland of Kreng Sub-District, Cha-Uat District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. Following to the estimation method of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, 1983) was applied. The economic crops are Rice, Para-rubber and Oil Palm. The factors used to assess the suitability were moisture that are beneficial to plants, the benefits of oxygen to plant roots, the beneficial of the nutrient condition of the deep roots, damage from flooding, potential of toxins in soil and damage from corrosion.

The study found that the suitability of land for rice cultivation had highly suitable area of 5,065 rais (5.02 percent), moderately suitable area of 5,331 rais (5.29 percent), marginally suitable area of ​​40,289 rais (39.95 percent) and not suitable area of 50,154 rais (49.74 percent)). The suitability of land for rubber plantation indicated that there was highly suitable area of 1,952 rais (1.94 percent), moderately suitable area of 5,192 rais (5.15 percent) following by marginally suitable area of 319 rais (0.32 percent) and not suitable area of ​​93,376 rais (92.60 percent). The suitability of land for oil palm plantation indicated that there was highly suitable area of 11,647 rais (11.55 percent), moderately suitable area of 40,648 rais (40.31 percent) and not suitable area of ​​48,549 rais (48.15 percent).