LAND SUITABILITY ASSESSMENT USING AGRO-LAND ASSESSMENT (AGLA) MODEL—CASE STUDY: AKRE DISTRICT, DUHOK PROVINCE, IRAQ

Land evaluation is essential for developing sustainable agroecological systems, particularly in countries striving to achieve agricultural self-sufficiency.This study focuses on Akre district plain in Iraq, covering approximately 714.87 km 2 , which is considered a food basket for a wide range of areas.The aim of this study was to classify the land suitability of the study area and identify the most suitable crops for cultivation.Land suitability was determined based on the interaction of various topographical, physical, chemical and climate analyses from twenty soil profiles collected from different landscapes.These analyses were processed using the AGLA model.The results were compiled into an Excel file (.csv.MS_DOS) that can be integrated into ArcGIS as points.Suitability classes were determined for several crops, including wheat, barley, rice, beans, tomato, lentil, nuts, almond and olive.In total, the results of suitability classes in the study area were class S1 (the suitable lands) were 98.51 km 2 about 13.76%, in class S2 (the moderate suitable lands) were 491.31 km 2 about 68.63%, in class S3 (the low suitable lands) were 111.68 km 2 about 15.6% and in class N (non-suitable or marginal lands) were 14.37 km 2 about 2.01%.