Feasibility of implementing conservation agriculture with TOPSIS multi-criteria technique in GIS  (case study: Maroon Basin of Khuzestan Province)

Heidarpour, Nosratollah; Bahrami, Hoshang; Mansoori, Yaghoob; Hojati, Saeed

doi:10.22059/ijbse.2017.232249.664933

Feasibility of implementing conservation agriculture with TOPSIS multi-criteria technique in GIS (case study: Maroon Basin of Khuzestan Province)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

¹ Department of Biosystem Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University, Ahwaz, Iran

² Department of Biosystem Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahwaz, Iran

³ Department of Science and Soil Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University, Ahwaz, Iran

10.22059/ijbse.2017.232249.664933

Abstract

A GIS-based plan with TOPSIS multi-criteria technique was used to assess the feasibility of implementing conservation agriculture in the Maroon Basin of Khuzestan Province. For this purpose, a total of 17 information layers mechanization-farming including machinery (level of mechanization, operation factor, number of conservation tillage and drill), climatic (temperature and precipitation), topographic (slope and elevation), soil properties (texture, pH, salinity, phosphorus and organic carbon) and water resources (potential and salinity) are considered, to determine the areas most suitable for the crop rotation of canola, chickpea and wheat. Thematic layers for the above parameters were prepared in a GIS environment, classified into 5 categories according to FAO guidelines as: highly suitable, suitable, moderately suitable, marginally suitable and not suitable and weighted with AHP method. Then, prepared layers are ranked with TOPSIS techniques and overlapped in GIS. The results showed that 1.6% (5030 ha) and 14.5% (44595 ha) of the studied area is highly suitable and suitable for implementing conservation agriculture, respectively.

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