Soil sustainability assessment for rice cropping recommendations: A case study in an Giang Province, Vietnam Vu Pham Thanh1, Minh Vo Quang1,* 1Department of Land Resources, Cantho University, 3/2 Street, Ninh Kieu District, Cantho City, 90000, Vietnam *Corresponding Author: Vo Quang Minh, Department of Land Resources, Cantho University, 3/2 Street, Ninh Kieu District, Cantho City, 90000, Vietnam, Email: vqminh@ctu.edu.vn
Online published on 6 November, 2023. Abstract Background The study aimed to identify the sustainability of soil fertility and social-economic factors for major rice cropping and offer suggestions for sustainable rice cropping. Methods The kite sustainability assessment is a multi-objective assessment method based on standardized scoring formulas built on land assessment criteria with limiting factors. It used the AHP method to determine how different critical factors affect whether a place is good for growing rice. Therefore, determining soil fertility, economy and society has essential implications for rice cultivation in the study area. Result The soil fertility status of the two main rice crops in the study area has a low pH, high organic matter content, high cation exchange capacity and high clay content. Besides, the soil has a good water-holding capacity, a high total N content and an average total P content. Utilizing the AHP method, it was determined that soil fertility, economic and social factors were the second-most significant factors in determining the suitability of land for agriculture as well as the possibility and performance of rice. While the double-rice cropping model is only sustainable regarding fertility, the triple-rice cropping model achieves the sustainability goal of economic, social and soil fertility indicators. Two rice cropping seasons, lWS-mSA (double rice) and mWS-eSA-eAW (triple rice) achieve a balanced level in all indicators of level 2 of soil fertility. Therefore, in both models, a system that reaches a sustainable level exists. Even so, the lWS-mSA cropping season could be less environmentally harmful than the mWS-eSA-eAW season regarding the environmental group. Top Keywords Agricultural land, AHP, Cropping season, Fertility, Kate model. Top |