Land suitability modeling for ricecrop based on an integrated multi-criteria decision making in Quang Tri province of Vietnam

The present study was aimed to determine the potential cultivated lands for rice crop production in Vietnam. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) were employed in order to analyze the structure of an ideal solution in agriculture that focuses mainly on environmental, economic, and social sustainability. A final ranking of alternative development solutions was also accomplished. Three major factors were taken into consideration during the process, including the economics, social concerns, and the environment, in order to develop a sustainable plan for rice and other grain crops in the future. The obtained results demonstrate that the area under investigation in Quang Tri province, which encompasses 192.49 km2 of land area, was extremely conducive to growing rice crops, with the majority of the arable lands suitable for cultivating rice varieties concentrated in Trieu Long District (63.14 km2) and Hai Lang District (56.87 km2). The main findings of the present work indicated that, it can link decision makers with the influencing variables of rice crop growing utilizing a hybrid method that can be successfully used based on GIS technique. To expand production, chemical soil characteristics and agricultural development strategies should be investigated further, particularly in the studied areas with greater success potential. © 2021, Russian Geographical Society. All rights reserved.