Conceptual Model of Intelligent Spatial Decision Support System for Evaluating Paddy Land Suitability

Abstract

Background: Paddy is a staple food that is essential for global food security. Paddy land suitability evaluation is key to optimizing land resource management and productivity. Existing land evaluation techniques are manual and rigid, making them less representative of land physical data uncertainty and expert judgment reluctance. Most recent spatial decision support system and fuzzy logic-based techniques use one-dimensional models (membership) without considering expert hesitation. Objective: This study aimed to develop a conceptual model for an Intelligent Spatial Decision Support System (ISDSS) for evaluating the suitability of paddy by integrating contextual user requirements with Soft System Methodology (SSM) and numerical examples. Methods: This research methodology integrates SSM to identify problems and numerical examples based on Spherical Fuzzy Set (SFS) for land suitability assessment. The criteria weights are determined using the Spherical Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (SF-AHP), which represents each criterion through membership (μ), non-membership (ν), and hesitancy (π) degrees to capture hesitation in expert judgment. The findings of the weighing and evaluation were combined using Weighted Overlay Analysis (WOA) to produce a land suitability index. Results: The SSM approach organizes complex and unstructured problems into a systematic conceptual framework. An example of an SFS calculation demonstrates computational feasibility based on expert validation, yielding an overall accuracy of 90% and a Cohen’s kappa coefficient of 0.861, indicating promising conceptual agreement. Conclusion: The integration of SSM and numerical examples provides a conceptual foundation for developing ISDSS for evaluating paddy land suitability. Further research will focus on implementing a prototype to test spatial performance and the validity of results at the operational level. Keywords: ISDSS, Numerical Example, Paddy Land Suitability, Spherical Fuzzy Set, SSM