Automated Land Potential Evaluation System for Land Use Planning

Abstract

Socio-Economic evaluation may be defined as all methods to explain or predict the use potential of land. Economic land evaluation requires numerous calculations, which may be automated for greater efficiency, easy scenario creation and sensitivity analysis, comparison of methods and more effective communication with land users. A computer software named as ALPES (Automated Land Potential Evaluation System), a tool for electronic land use planning was developed using MS Access. The minimum data sets needed for this software includes (1) present land use and management data (2) soil test reports and (3) best soil management practices for the crops. The advantages of this software are: (a) as an extension tool to derive recommendation concerning management of crops and soil health (b) as a business tool for deciding credit worthiness of a farmer to extend farm loans by banks (c) as a research tool to monitor the soil health by comparing the nutrients status over the years and its effect on soil health (d) as a teaching & training tool by providing interactive responses to “What & If” questions related to improved understanding of the influence of market (prices), location (site & soil) & management (input use) on land productivity (e) ALPES gives India a step towards e-Land Use Planning & Management.