Agricultural land suitability for rainfed and irrigated crop cultivation in a semi-arid region of Northeastern Brazil

Adequate territorial management of irrigation water is essential to ensure water security, especially in semi-arid areas. This paper presents a spatial diagnostic of the most suitable areas for crops cultivation (individual or intercropped), under rainfed and irrigated, considering specific conditions to promote agricultural sustainable production in the Agreste of Pernambuco (Brazil). The procedure combines geospatial information about edaphoclimatic requirements and legal and biophysical restrictions on land use. If there is water availability for irrigation, the areas eligible for the cultivation of cowpea and maize can increase by up to 50% and 120%, respectively, compared to the area available for rainfed planting for these crops in the study region. In general, the conditions of annual precipitation are not suitable for the rainfed production of sugarcane and banana in regular years. The method, widely applicable to other regions, allows the assessment of the suitability of each site for the cultivation of more than one crop and can support the definition and evaluation of public water policies for sustainable economic development. Its results can convert the perceptions of those involved in technical and reasoned analysis in the face of critical issues to achieving water sustainability and sustainable economic development.