Land Suitability for Corn Cultivation in Nariño Department, Colombia

Nariño Department in Colombia is the focus of this land suitability assessment for commercial corn (Zea mays L.) cultivation. The dataset results from a 2017 inter-administrative contract between UPRA and the University of Nariño, applying a methodology that includes biophysical, socioeconomic, and socio-ecosystem components at a 1:100,000 scale. It was published in December 2018 and provides a zoning classification for productive corn investment.

Use Cases

• Classifying land aptitude for corn using the `Aptitud` column based on integrated biophysical and socioeconomic factors.
• Calculating the total area of each suitability class in hectares using the `Área (ha)` column for regional planning.
• Mapping the spatial distribution of high, medium, low, and non-suitable zones using the `the_geom` geometry column.
• Identifying areas with legal exclusions for commercial corn cultivation based on the `Aptitud` category descriptions.

Strengths

• Includes a geospatial geometry column (`the_geom`) for mapping and spatial analysis.
• Provides area calculations in hectares (`Área (ha)`) for each polygon feature.
• Applies a multi-criteria evaluation methodology incorporating biophysical, socioeconomic, and socio-ecosystem components.

Limitations

• Row count and total dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale analysis.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

Result of a contract between UPRA (Colombian Rural Agricultural Planning Unit) and the University of Nariño.

Collection Method

Validation and application of a land evaluation methodology at a 1:100,000 scale.

Time Range

Project finalized in December 2018.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-18 17:48:55; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Nariño Department, Colombia.