Farmland grading based on land evaluation and site assessment method in Jingyang County, Shaanxi Provence

Based on land evaluation and site assessment (LESA) method, the farmland of Jingyang County in Shannxi Province was graded with results of five grades in quality. The grading process was divided into two parts, one being the farmland natural quality valuation and another social-economical quality valuation. In these two parts, principal component analysis was used to select evaluation factors. And the Delphi method was used to determine the weights of factors. Finally based on natural quality valuation and social-economical quality valuation, the total grading indices of a grading unit was calculated by weight sum of natural quality index and the social-economical quality index. The weights of two parts were determined by correlation of farmland grading index and standard corn output. The grade one farmland of Jingyang County was 6.79% of total farmland in area, being the best in quality. And grade 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th occupied 26.23%, 26.07%, 19.39% and 13.88% in area, respectively. LESA method can be used in land gradation. It is the one of the good methods for land gradatio