The FGGD soils map is a global raster datalayer with a resolution of 5 arc-minutes. Each pixel contains a class value for the major soil group found in the pixel area. The data are from FAO and IIASA, 2000, Global agro-ecological zones, as reported in FAO and IIASA, 2007, Mapping biophysical factors that influence agricultural production and rural vulnerability, by H. von Velthuizen et al.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the collaboration of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), has developed a system that enables rational land-use planning on the basis of an inventory of land resources and evaluation of biophysical limitations and potentials. This is referred to as the Agro-ecological Zones (AEZ) methodology.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the collaboration of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), has developed a system that enables rational land-use planning on the basis of an inventory of land resources and evaluation of biophysical limitations and potentials. This is referred to as the Agro-ecological Zones (AEZ) methodology.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the collaboration of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), has developed a system that enables rational land-use planning on the basis of an inventory of land resources and evaluation of biophysical limitations and potentials. This is referred to as the Agro-ecological Zones (AEZ) methodology.

The raster dataset of easily available water has a spatial resolution of 5 * 5 arc minutes and is in geographic projection. Information with regard to available water was obtained from the "Derived Soil Properties" of the FAO-UNESCO Soil Map of the World which contains raster information on soil properties.

Soil and terrain suitability for maize dataset, at about 1 km resolution, investigates soil suitability and both soil and terrain suitability for maize, under rain-fed condition, with high and low inputs. The Soil and terrain suitability for crops datasets are part of the GAEZ v4 Theme 1 Land and Water Resources, Soil Suitability sub-theme. In the GAEZ v4 the Soil Suitability assessment sub-theme, soil qualities are evaluated for each crop and input/management level and for different water supply systems (rain-fed and irrigated). The results are crop and input level specific soil suitability ratings, which are used for the crop suitability and attainable yield assessment presented in Theme 4. Terrain suitability is also estimated according to terrain-slope classes and location-specific rainfall amounts and rainfall-concentration characteristics to account for soil erosion risks related to crop cover dynamics. Soil and terrain suitability are combined in an edaphic rating factor by crop, water supply type and input level, which is an important input for the estimation of agro-ecological crop suitability and attainable yields presented in Theme 4. For further details, please refer to the GAEZ v4 Model Documentation.