A GIS-based model for a land suitability analysis of Amomum compactum Soland ex Maton (cardamom) in West Sumatra

The west Sumatra Province has a large agricultural area planted with various types of crops. One of them is horticulture farming, producing various types of medicinal plants and spices such as Amomum Compactum Soland ex Maton or Cardamom. It is a non-timber forest product in the form of a spice that potentially developed due to the intercropping of plants in the forest. According to West Sumatra statistical data, in 2015 11,500 kg of cardamom was produced each month, lower than most other crops. The market demand for cardamom is relatively high reaching approximately 10 tons/month/city, whereas production is only around 3-5 tons/month/city. Therefore, appropriate planning and management is very important to optimize the cultivation and to increase productivity. Planning and management through a land suitability analysis will help to describe potential areas for cardamom planting. The output map provides baseline information for suitable planting areas and can be included in the decision-making process. This analysis was developed using a geographic information system (GIS), a processing tool capable of collecting, creating, storing, and managing various types of spatial data. In this study, the land suitability analysis was based on three variables, which included rainfall, soil type, and elevation. A matrix table was then created from those variables and compared with the plant’s growth requirements. A map of cardamom potential planting areas was subsequently generated from this table. The results showed that 53% of West Sumatra is suitable for cardamom production. The other 35% and 12% are for less suitable and not suitable, respectively.