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POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL 
LAND RESOURCE MAPPING IN INDONESIA: 
EXPERIENCES, ACHIEVEMENTS AND IMPACTS

Muhrizal Sarwani, Markus Anda and Rizatus Shofiyati 

INDONESIAN CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL LAND AND RESOURCESRESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
AGENCY FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Content:

Goals of Agricultural Development

Programs of land resource inventory
Soil mapping approach
Soil inventory achievement
Thematic Derivative maps from soil mapping
Impact of soil maps on national development
Conclusions
Indonesian Agriculture at a Glance
Indonesian agriculture contribute 
to around 14,4% of GDP, 
dominated  by food crops 

Employs around 42% of the labor 
force (of 235 million)

60% of major food crops (rice, 
maize, and soybean) being 
produced in Java

Palm Oil  is produced in Outer 
Island (Sumatra, Kalimantan)
GOALS OF AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN 
INDONESIA
¾ Increasing food production and sustainable food 
self sufficiency
¾ Food security and nutrition
¾ Increasing competitiveness, added value and 
export
¾ Increase farmer income
¾ Optimation of soil, climate change adaptation (& 
mitigation) and soil conservation
PROGRAMME OF LAND RESOURCES IDENTIFICATION
& AGRICULTURAL LANDUSE PLANNING
A. Acceleration of land resources inventory &
evaluation in Indonesia to support :
1. Agricultural land use planning
2. Commodity zonation
3. Food security & site selection of local
food potential for food diversification
4. New paddy field development
5. Sustainable Agricultural Land
Management Act & Reforma Agraria
B. Updating land resources mapping, National
Agric. Land resources database development
& land audit.
C. Developing of Intergrated GIS Interactive &
Standardization of National Agric. land
resources Identification
 Some views of Indonesian landscapes
Pangrango
Merapi

Swampy area, kalbar

 Application Remote sensing technology and Geographic 
information system on soil mapping in Indonesia

RADAR

Aerial
photograph

Landsat imagery S

SPOT imagery

Mt. Tangkuban U

Perahu
Mt. Burangrang

Mt. Merapi - 2003

Application Remote sensing technology and Geographic 
information system on soil mapping in Indonesia
2005-2008 2008 - present

Landsat ETM 7 Landsat ETM 7

Intensively used:
ÆReconnaisance
Intensively used:
ÆReconnaisance
JERS, ASTER
Æpoor farmer
ALOS AVNIR-2
ÆAEZ
ÆPrimary farm Experiment :
ÆReconnaisance

Soil & Landuse Soil & Landuse

mapping mapping

Other land resources mapping

 Present achievement for the extent of soil 
mapping in Indonesia
Main Extent 1:250.000' 1:100.000' 1:10.000 +
Island 1:50.000'
x1000 ha x1000 ha % x1000 ha % x1000 ha %
1.Sumatera 47,241 47,241 100.0 2,227 4.7 4,056 8.6
2.Jawa, Madura 13,210 13,210 100.0 2,715 20.6 4,401 33.3
3.Nusa Tenggara 7,209 7,209 100.0 12 0.2 1,172 16.3
and Bali
4.Kalimantan 52,890 52,890 100.0 891 1.7 9,072 17.6
5.Sulawesi 18,743 18,743 100.0 1,003 5.4 2,100 11.2
6.Maluku 7,817 7,817 100.0 55 0.7 499 6.4
7.Papua 41,105 4,016 9.8 684 1.7 2,176 5.3
Total
Indonesia 188,215 151,126 80.3 7,587 4.0 23,476 12.5
All areas have been mapped at exploratory scale 1:1 million (Puslitbangnak, 2000)
Source: Subagjo (1995), Suwarto et (2000), updating to 2011 (Hikmattulah, 2011)
 Indonesian Soil Exploratory Map (1:1.000.000) 

EXPLORATORY SOIL MAP OF

Kalimantan
INDONESIA
Sulawesi

Papua

Sumatera

Legend Maluku
Jawa

Bali NTT
Forms of Indonesian Soil Map availability (1:50.000 – 250.000)

Soil map availability at

1:50.000 to 1:250.000

Legend
No data
Manual
Digital 1:250.000
Digital 1:100.000
Digital 1:50.000
Availability of Indonesian Digital Soil Map
scale 1:250.000
 Derivative Maps of Soil Maps
Type of Mapping Map scale %

1. Agricultural land use planning 1:1.000.000 - 100

500.000
2. Commodity zoning (Interactive) 1 : 250.000 - 75
50.000
3. Specific Land Suitability 1 : 100.000 - 3-35
50.000
4. Nutrient Status of paddy field especially 1 : 250.000 - 85
P and K status 50.000
5. Critical & degradated land etc. 1:250.000 -50.000 5-25
AEZ Map (integration of soil-climate-socio 1:250.000 -50.000 (25-100%)
economy) Æ Commodity development
recommendation, SUT/US, Agrobusiness
& Technology
POTASIUM MAP AT DISTRIC LEVEL
PEAT SOIL MAPPING IN KALIMANTAN
DETAILED SPATIAL PEAT CHARACTERISTICS

Decomposition

Soil depth

Peat thickness

Carbon stocks
 Soil Data Base
• Observation data:
– program SHDE4 (Soil and Horizon data base 
using DataEase)
• Data lab
– program SSA3 (Soil Sample Analysis data 
base)
• Definition representative pedon
– program SHDE4
• data Mapping Unit
– program SHDE4
Some Profiles of Indonesian soils
Andisol Andisol Epiaquept Histosol

Ash deposit

Buried soil

Oxisol Ultisol Alfisol Dystrudept

 Impact of soil information on national 
Impact of soil information on national 
development
development
• Provide a basic information for policy makers 
in designing spatial planning (national, provinces,
regencies)
• Guidance for government in selecting the area for
transmigration
• Guidance for government in allocating fertilizer 
subsidies
• Source of soil information for students, researchers,
universities and other stakeholders
• Provide soil information and associated technologies
for state and private companies
 The magnitude and distribution of available 
potential land for agricultural development 
Annual crops in Wetlands Dry Land Dry Land
Swamp Non Total for for
Major Island Total
swamp annual Perennial
crops crops
………………..…………x 000 ha ……………..………………
Sumatra 355 606 961 1,312 3,227 5,499
Jawa 0 14 14 41 159 214
Bali & NT 0 49 49 138 610 797
Kalimantan 730 666 1,396 3,639 7,272 12,307
Sulawesi 0 423 423 215 601 1,240
Papua 1,893 3,294 5,187 1,689 2,790 9,666

Maluku 0 246 246 50 651 947

Indonesia
2/9/2012
2,978 5,298 8,276
Las‐BBSDLP
7,084 15,310 30,670
21
 PROSPECTIVE OF GSP/GSM
Transfer of knowledge, technology and
methodology (Mapping, GIS, RS)
National maps on P, K and C fertility status
National maps on peat soils
Share data and funding
Capacity building
Human resource
Research facilities
 Conclusions
All Indonesian areas have been mapped at 1:1.000.000 scale and
almost all areas for 1;250.000 . The extent of soil mapping areas
decreased with increasing detail in map scales (i.e., from
reconnaissance to detail maps) in Indonesia
Most of the maps are available in a digital form
Aerial photograph and satellite images (e.g. landsat TM, ALOS,
RADAR) have been a powerful tool and source of information to
be used for mapping of soil information and derivatives' maps
Soil mapping in Indonesia have played a key role in providing
soil information to policy makers (national, provinces, regencies),
private and state companies, research institutions and
Universities.
GSP/GSM activities are an opportunity to share knowledge,
expertise, methodology development and funding among world
soil scientists, in order to provide soil information for wise use
our natural resources
 THANK YOU
For More information:
Visit Us at:
Http://www.deptan.go.id
Http://www.litbang,deptan.go.id

muhrizal@litbang.deptan.go.id
muhrizal_sarwani@yahoo.co.id