Get reliable rangeland science

Inadequacies evident in present?day farm planning procedures require that attention be given to land classification ? the starting point of land?use planning. It is suggested that soils, correctly classified and accurately mapped, provide the only reliable basis for developing a land capability classification. A study of several systems in current use, including that of the United States, enables important principles to be identified. A capability classification developed and applied in the Howick Extension Area provides a means of improving farm planning procedures. Although possibilities for developing a national system are considered, emphasis is given to the advantages of planning land use directly on the basis of defined soil series.