GIS‐Based Land Evaluation and Suitability Analysis to Optimize Maize ( <i>Zea mays</i> L.) Production in the Dura Watershed, Northern Ethiopia

Agriculture is the base for the Ethiopian economy, and cereals, including maize ( Zea mays L.), are the most important crops for human consumption in the country. The grain yield of cereals in the highlands of northern Ethiopia is low, mainly due to the low content of essential nutrients in the soil. The objective of this study is to analyze the land evaluation and its suitability classification for maize production with the help of geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing techniques. The experiment was conducted during the 2023/2024 growing season of the irrigation period. The experimental design was deployed a stratified random sampling design along transects across the study area by observing the surface soil types and considering the elevation and slope gradients. Ten profiles each were dug in Dura watersheds on the land uses of rainfed and irrigated lands for analyzing the land‐suitability classification. Among the different land use types, 32.45% agricultural land was covered in the Dura watershed. Cation exchange capacity (CEC) was S2, which was a mild limiting factor; total nitrogen (TN) was S3, a highly restricted factor; and soil organic matter (SOM) was S2, which is a highly limited factor in the Dura watershed. Overall, land suitability analysis for maize in the Dura watershed indicates that 33.43% of the land was moderately suitable (S2), 54.44% was marginally suitable (S3), and 12.14% was not suitable (N) for maize production. Therefore, improving nitrogen management through integrated soil fertility practices would significantly enhance productivity in maize crops.