Land Suitability Evaluation and Potential Land Development for Arabica Coffee in Geumpang Subdistrict, Aceh Province, Indonesia

Abstract

Aceh Province is the leading producer of Arabica coffee in Indonesia, contributing 32.3% of the total national product. Despite the growing demand for coffee, there has been a noted decline in domestic production. To address this issue and enhance coffee production, it is essential to identify and develop new cultivation areas that adhere to established suitability criteria based on comprehensive land suitability assessments. The Geumpang Subdistrict, situated on the slopes of
the Peut Sagoe Mountains at an elevation exceeding 1,000 m asl., presents over 1,000 ha of land that is potentially suitable for cultivation. The primary objective of this research is to evaluate the land suitability for Arabica coffee cultivation within
this subdistrict. A descriptive method combined with field surveys was employed to collect relevant data, including soil samples, slope gradients, and physical soil properties. Soil analyses were conducted at the Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Syiah Kuala. For the assessment of land characteristics, Land Map Units (SPL: Satuan Peta Lahan) were developed using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools, specifically ArcGIS software.
The findings of this study reveal that the Geumpang Subdistrict experiences high annual rainfall, exceeding 3,000 mm/year, with less than one month of dry conditions. Based on the evaluation of both physical and chemical soil properties,
the land has been categorized into unsuitability classes N. Therefore, the cultivation of Arabica coffee in this region is deemed feasible, contingent upon the implementation of appropriate agronomic management practices.