DETERMINATION OF THE STATE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND IN THE PROVINCE OF MAYSAN (IRAQ) BASED ON SPATIAL DATA

Abstract

analyzing the spatial data of territories used to obtain agricultural products. The territory of the Iraqi part of the Tigris-Euphrates interfluve, especially in its southern part, is characterized by the spread of such a type of soil degradation as salinization due to the use for many centuries of fertile alluvial soils for growing various crops using irrigation systems. The conducted geoinformation analysis of the degradation of agricultural landscapes allows for operational monitoring of their condition, determination of the spatial position of degraded areas, identification of the conditions for the functioning of each field and provides an effective basis for taking measures for economically justified work on growing crops. The results of mapping agrolandscapes in Maysan province and assessing their degradation made it possible to establish the features of its relief for the test site, as well as the spatial distribution of agricultural land plots according to the degree of degradation. It was revealed that on the area of the test plot (196 ha) there are 59 fields with an area of 122 ha, of which 5 are not used due to severe soil salinity (total salt content is more than 3%). The predominance of agricultural land, arable land and gardens, occupying 69% of the study area, was established. When assessing land degradation, it was found that the largest area (64.4 ha) is occupied by lands with very strong and strong salinity, taken out of use and overgrown with ruderal vegetation. Lands with a degradation level of «risk» occupy 45.8 hectares, with a level of «crisis» – 20.6 hectares, with a level of «disaster» – 64.4 hectares.