Evaluation of Land Suitability for Corn in Muntuk, Bantul, Special Region of Yogyakarta

¹ Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Department of Agrotechnology, 55183 Kasihan Bantul Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia
² Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Department of Forestry, Padang, West Sumatera, Indonesia
³ University of Santiago de Compostela, Department of Plant Production and Engineering Project, 27002 Benigno Ledo Street Lugo, Spain

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Food security is one of the strategic issues in the development of a country. The community’s reliance on a single staple food, particularly rice, necessitates food diversification aligned with local potential. One commodity as an alternative food is corn, as it not only serves as a source of carbohydrates but also has high economic value. Muntuk is a hilly area, but this region has the potential to develop dryland food crops, particularly corn. The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics and determine the suitability of corn. The method of the study used the purposive sampling method on land with a slope of <15%. Data analysis using the matching method of land suitability tables for corn. The results of the analysis show that Muntuk has high rainfall, slow drainage, very shallow effective depth, low total K, and high erosion hazard levels. Based on the results of the analysis, corn can be developed in Tangkil, Karangasem, and Seropan III. Improvement of corn plants requires the effective depth and level of erosion hazard to be determined by dismantling soft hard soil, making a slit trench, adding organic materials, improving the planting system through intercropping with annual plants, and planting crops parallel to the contour.