Land Capability for Perennial Horticulture in Western Australia

DPIRD Geographic Information Services provides a land capability assessment for irrigated perennial horticulture in southwest Western Australia. The dataset evaluates suitability for orchard and vineyard crops based on soil-landscape mapping, ignoring socio-economic factors and irrigation water availability.

Use Cases

• Analyze land capability ratings for orchard crops like apples, citrus, and stone fruit to identify suitable agricultural zones.
• Map physical land requirements for deep-rooted perennial plants to support regional land-use planning.
• Integrate soil-landscape mapping data to assess risks for vineyard crops such as grapes and kiwifruit.

Strengths

• Based on the best available soil-landscape mapping dataset (DPIRD-027) as stated in the description.
• Covers a defined geographic area: the south west of Western Australia.
• Methodology is documented in DAFWA Resource Management Technical Report 298.

Limitations

• Capability ratings do not account for critical factors like irrigation water availability or climatic risks such as frost.
• Assumptions for land use are specific to commercial, irrigated, deep-rooted crops, limiting generalizability.
• Data scope is restricted to physical requirements, ignoring socio-economic factors.

Provenance

Source

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Geographic Information Services.

Collection Method

Analysis and interpretation of the best available soil-landscape mapping dataset.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated March 2026.

Geography

South west of Western Australia.