SITE CHARACTERIZATION

and SELECTION
Site characterization
 Set objectives
 Characterize bio-physical environments
 Characterize socio-economic environments
Procedure: Site Characterization

1. Set objectives

• Identify factors that may influence (favor or

hinder) the successful production of the identified
crops

• Assess site suitability or crop suitability

• Analyze possible site-crop enterprise relationships

• Formulate of farm plan --- steps, measures and

requirements to implement the plan

• Prepare of farm sketch --- show present and future

scenarios based on the site analysis and evaluation
Procedure: Site Characterization

2. Characterize the bio-physical environment

• Soil sampling and analysis --- test kit/lab analysis

• Gathering of secondary climatic data --- nearby

agro-meteorological stations

• Documentation of existing vegetation --- actual

observation of existing species

• Documentation of land features --- slope, elevation

• Actual survey and mapping

Procedure for Site Characterization

3. Characterize socioeconomic environment

• Observation and gathering of information ---

current market prices of inputs/outputs

• Interview of farmers and their household ---

about their farming system

• Interview of key informants (community leaders,

elders) --- about community history/culture and
political situation
Input for Site Evaluation

 Results of site characterization

serve as an input to site evaluation

 Relationships among factors

analyzed, evaluated and rated for site’s
suitability to the identified crop, or the
chosen crop’s suitability to the given site
 Input for Site Evaluation

• Crop-environment matching based on scores

assigned to certain factors and judging the
suitability

• Determination of the land’s capability

based on certain factors and their combination
relative to a pre-determined scale of land
capabilities

• Identification of critical factors and their

possible influences on the proposed crop
production enterprise
Components of a Farm Plan

• A map showing the land allocation for

chosen crop/s

• Recommended planting scheme and

cropping pattern

• Timeline or schedule of activities

• Budget scheme for the material/input
requirements

• Forecasts of critical factors or potential

problems during implementation
Site Characterization --- Definitions
Crop ability of a certain crop to adapt or fit into a given
adaptation environment
Crop desirable level of factors needed by a crop to adapt to
requirements a given environment
Farm plan blueprint on how a farm is to be developed given its
objective, resources, and the environment
Feasibility study on how a pre-determined crop production
study enterprise will perform given as assessment of the
available resources and prevailing environment
Land measure of the ability of a piece of land and its
capability resources to sustain a given crop production enterprise
Location actual geographical position of an agricultural site
Site localized area and microenvironment of an agriculture
enterprise
Site process of assessing the site’s resources and
evaluation environment for developing a crop production enterprise
Site site’s ability based on its resources and environment
suitability to sustain crop production enterprise
 Other Definitions
AFFECT
INTERACT
INFLUENCE
● Biological factor – living thing

● Physical factor – physical element AGRICULTURAL/

FARMING SYSTEM
● Climatic factor – climatic element

● Socio-economic factor – people and resources

● Off-farm factors – any factor external of the farm

physical boundaries

● On-farm factors – any factor within the farm physical

boundaries

● Non-farm factors – any factor not related to farming

Site Selection for Crop Production
Matching the crop with the location/site for crop production

KNOW THE CROP KNOW THE SITE

About the Crop About the Site

 Climatic Requirements  Climate
 Soil Requirements  Soil
 Biological Considerations  Physical
 Socioeconomic/Cultural  Biological
Considerations  Socioeconomic Conditions
 Environmental Concerns  Other Constraints
 Other Special Requirements

Cropping Purpose and Intensity

About the Crop

Climatic Requirements

• Temperature ---optimum temperature

during growing season

• Water --- total water requirement during

cropping

• Light --- required daylength and degree of

shading tolerated by the crop

• Wind --- sensitivity to wind movement or

typhoons
Temperature and Crop Adaptation
LOW ELEVATION HIGH ELEVATION
Mean: 23 – 30 oC 13 – 25 oC
Extremes: 17 – 37 oC

Warm Season Crops Improved cultivars not

• Field Crops sensitive to altitude and
• Fruit Trees low temperatures
• Vegetables

Cool Season Crops

During cold months Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower
Improved cultivars Peas, Carrot, Potato, Snap
bean
Celery, Lettuce, Calla lily
Improved cultivars not
Shasta daisy, Dahlia, Carnation
sensitive to high Strawberry, Grape, Lychee
temperatures Sweet orange, Tea, Coffee
(arabica)
 Water Requirement of Some Crops
Crop Growing Consumptive
Period (day) Use (cm)
Field Crops
Rice 90-120 72 (WS)
112 (DS) e.g.
Cassava 240-356 50-250
Corn 100 55 Submerged condition  rice, taro
Mungbean 60-68 41
Peanut 90-150 50-60 Tolerant to periodic waterlogging 
Soybean 80-90 53 jute, sorghum
Sugarcane 300-365 132
Vegetables Crops Sensitive to waterlogging  papaya,
Cabbage 70-90 30 durian, rambutan
Eggplant 90-120 48
Garlic 90-120 36 Tolerant to drought  sorghum,
Lettuce 40-50 30 cashew
Mustard 40-60 41
Okra 60-90 30
In many common crops, they require
Onion 90-100 46
Pechay 40-60 30
700-1000 tonnes of water to produce
Tomato 80-100 46
one ton DM
Watermelon 75-95 46
Crop and Light

Light Saturation Point --- light intensity where

photosynthetic activity is at maximum

Sun-loving Shade-loving Shade-tolerant

Most field crops Lanzones, Cacao Pineapple, Papaya
Coffee Mangosteen, Ginger

 65% of  35% of
ornamental crops ornamental crops
Crop and Light

Photoperiodism
• response to daylength

Photoperiodic Plants (Short-day; <11 hrs)

• Some rices (Japonicas, Traditional Indicas)
• Soybean, Winged bean
• Pineapple, Kinaf
• Poinsettia, Chrysanthemum
• Onion & garlic (bulb formation)
Crop and Wind

Normal wind velocity in Phils. = 7.2 km/hr

Wind Speed Affected Process / Part /
(km/hr) Structure
> 30  Pollination
 Inflorescence
 Damage on leaf
40 – 56  Severe damage on crown
> 65  Severe damage on whole plant / uprooted

Crop Characteristic Crop

Crops sensitive Coconut, Banana, Abaca, Coffee
to strong wind Cacao, Mango, Rice, Corn
Most field crops

Crops resistant Sineguelas (Spondias), Some palms

to strong wind Pandan, Bamboo
About the Crop

Soil Requirement

• pH --- pH range tolerated by the crop

• Soil fertility --- specific nutrients needed

• Adaptation to soil problems --- saline, acid

sulfate, etc.

• Texture --- soil texture suited to the crop

Optimum pH for Some Crops
CROP OPTIMUM PH RANGE
Ornamentals 5–7
 Rose
5.5 – 6.5
 Sampaguita
8.0 – 9.5
Vegetables 5 – 7.5
Plantation Crops 5 – 7.5
 Cacao 4 – 7.4
 Abaca/Rubber
4.8 – 8.0
Fruit Crops 5.0 – 8.0
 Mango 5.5 – 8.5
 Cashew
 Pineapple 4.2 – 8.2
4.3- 5 (tolerance)
Field Crops 5 – 7.5
 Cassava
 Sweet potato
4.3- 5 (tolerance)
 New strains of corn,
mungbean, peanut, cowpea
 About the Crop

Crop and Soil Texture

Light-Textured Soils
 Root crops
 Asparagus
 Legumes
 Corn

Crop and Problem Soil

Poor-Stony Soils Saline Soils Acidic Soils
 Cashew  Cashew  Cashew, Cacao
 Forage legumes  Sorghum  Abaca, Pineapple
 Cassava, Sweet Potato
Zn, P, Fe Deficiency & Fe, Mn, Al Toxicity  New strains of corn,
 Specific varieties (e. g. rice) selected for mungbean, peanut,
adaptation cowpea
About the Crop

Biological Considerations
• Resistance/Susceptibility to pests and diseases
• Cropping patterns in which crop is suited

Socioeconomic/Cultural Considerations
• Labor requirement --- whole production system
• Production volume --- demand and distribution
About the Crop

Environmental Concerns
• Anticipated pesticide use
• Residue management and waste disposal

Other Special Requirements

• Postharvest activities
• Processing requirement
About the Crop --- Summary

Climatic Requirement Soil Requirement

 Temperature  pH
 Water  Soil fertility
 Light  Adaptation to soil problems
 Wind  Texture

Biological Considerations
 Pest/disease resistance/susceptibility
 Suited cropping pattern

Socioeconomic/Cultural Considerations
 Labor requirement
 Production volume

Environmental Concerns Other Special Requirements

 Pesticide use  Postharvest activities
 Residue/waste recycling  Processing requirement
About the Site

Climate
Diurnal & Seasonal Fluctuations in Temperature
 Low night temperatures --- best for fruit development
 Low temperature months --- favors planting of cool season crops

Rainfall Pattern & Distribution

 Rainfall distribution --- to be matched with crop water requirement
 if irrigation is minimum or limiting

Typhoon Frequency & Wind Velocity

 Typhoons --- usual occurrence  not synchronized with crop
critical growth stages
 Wind velocity --- < 30 km/hr  not synchronized with pollination or
flowering of anticipated crops
Site Characteristics

Soil
Soil Fertility Status
 Organic matter --- indicator of N fertility (>2%)
 Nutrient levels --- limiting?

Soil Texture
 Sand-silt-clay composition of the soil

Clay Sandy Loamy

Fine-textured Coarse-textured Moderately course-textured
Sticky Light Medium
High amount of nutrients Low amount of nutrients High amount of nutrients than sandy
soils
High water-holding capacity Low water-holding capacity High water-holding capacity than
sandy soils
Poor drainage High drainage Better drainage than clayey soil
High organic matter
Good for lowland rice Good for root crops Best soil for crop production
Site Characteristics

Soil
Soil pH --- acidity or alkalinity of a soil (1–14 units)
pH Range Soil Characteristics Nutrient Availability
3 – 3.9 Strongly acid  High or toxic levels of Al &
Mn
 Poor structure
 Low microbial activity
4 – 5.9 Moderately acid  Low levels of Ca, Mg, P &
Mo
 Poor structure
 Low microbial activity
6 – 6.9 Slightly acidic
7 Neutral
Best for crop production
7.1 – 7.5 Slightly alkaline
7.6 – 8 Alkaline
>8 Strongly alkaline Low Fe, Mn, Cu & Zn
Site Characteristics

Soil
Soil depth --- soil surface to lower layer of the soil
• Obstructions below the root zone are: bedrock, gravel, hardpan
• Water (at least 80 cm)
• Deep soils --- appropriate for trees and typhoon-prone areas

Slope --- related to cropping patterns and water management

 About the Site --- Summary

Climate Soil
Diurnal/Seasonal fluctuations in temperature  Soil fertility status
Rainfall pattern and distribution  Soil texture
Typhoon frequency  Soil pH
Wind movement and velocity  Soil depth

Physical Biological
 Water resources  Presence of pests and diseases
 Drainage  Existing cropping patterns/farming system
 Slope  Production practices in the area
 Historical changes in cropping

Socioeconomic
 Labor/skills availability
 Available infrastructures related to CP Other Constraints to
 Nearness to market and urban areas Productivity
 Supply and demand --- community preference
 Tenurial situation/landholdings
Thank You

SITE CHARACTERIZATION
and SELECTION