Land Suitability Evaluation of Tea ( Camellia sinensis L.) Plantation in Kallar Watershed of Nilgiri Bioreserve, India

S. Abdul Rahaman () and S. Aruchamy
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S. Abdul Rahaman: Department of Geography, School of Earth Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India
S. Aruchamy: Department of Geography, School of Earth Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India

Geographies, 2022, vol. 2, issue 4, 1-23

Abstract: Nilgiri tea is a vital perennial beverage variety and is in high demand in global markets due to its quality and medicinal value. In recent years, the cultivation of tea plantations has decreased due to the extreme climate and prolonged practice of tea cultivation in the same area, decreasing its taste and quality. In this scenario, land suitability analysis is the best approach to evaluate the bio-physiochemical and ecological parameters of tea plantations. The present study aims to identify and delineate appropriate land best suited for the cultivation of tea within the Kallar watershed using the geographic information system (GIS) and multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) techniques. This study utilises various suitability criteria, such as soil (texture, hydrogen ion concentration, electrical conductivity, depth, base saturation, and drainability), climate (rainfall and temperature), topography (relief and slope), land use, and the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), to evaluate the suitability of the land for growing tea plantations based on the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) guidelines for rainfed agriculture. The resultant layers were classified into five suitability classes, including high (S1), moderate (S2), and marginal (S3) classes, which occupied 16.7%, 7.08%, and 16.3% of the land, whereas the currently and permanently not suitable (N1 and N2) classes covered about 18.52% and 29.06% of the total geographic area. This study provides sufficient insights to decision-makers and farmers to support them in making more practical and scientific decisions regarding the cultivation of tea plantations that will result in the increased production of quality tea, and prevent and protect human life from harmful diseases.

Keywords: black tea; performance classification; FAO; multi-criteria evaluation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q15 Q5 Q53 Q54 Q56 Q57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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