Land Suitability Assessment for Kikuyo Grass in Nariño, Colombia at 1:100,000 Scale

A land suitability map for commercial Kikuyo grass (Pennisetum clandestinum) cultivation in the Nariño department of Colombia, produced at a 1:100,000 scale. The dataset results from a 2017 inter-administrative contract between UPRA and the University of Nariño, validated in December 2018. It classifies areas into High, Medium, Low, and Unsuitable aptitude categories based on biophysical, socioeconomic, and socio-ecosystem components.

Use Cases

• Classifying land suitability for Kikuyo grass using the Aptitud column and spatial geometry (the_geom).
• Calculating the total area of each suitability class using the Área (ha) column for regional planning.
• Mapping and visualizing suitability zones by joining the Aptitud categories to their corresponding geometries (the_geom).

Strengths

• Includes a geospatial geometry column (the_geom) for mapping and spatial analysis.
• Provides explicit area calculations in hectares (Área (ha)) for each polygon.
• Categorizes land suitability with clear, defined classes (Aptitud Alta, Media, Baja, No Apta).

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale modeling.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• The last update date is listed as 2026-05-18, which suggests a potential data freshness issue.

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 for the Nariño department.

Time Range

Project validated in December 2018.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-18 16:52:38; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Nariño department, Colombia.