Research Article Determination of Land Suitability Criteria for Maize Hybrid in Boalemo Regency Based on Optimum Yield and Selected Land Quality Nurdin , 1 Asda Rauf , 2 Yunnita Rahim , 1 Echan Adam , 2 Nikmah Musa , 1 Fitriah Suryani Jamin , 1 Suyono Dude , 1 Rival Rahman , 1 and Hidayat Arismunandar Katili 3 1 Department of Agrotechnology, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, Gorontalo 96583, Indonesia 2 Department of Agribusiness, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, Gorontalo 96583, Indonesia 3 Department of Agrotechnology, Tompotika Luwuk University, Luwuk 94711, Indonesia Correspondence should be addressed to Nurdin; nurdin@ung.ac.id Received 22 October 2022; Revised 29 December 2022; Accepted 3 January 2023; Published 18 January 2023 Academic Editor: Maman Turjaman Copyright © 2023 Nurdin et al. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Te signifcant efect of land quality on maize production has not been fully considered in the existing land suitability criteria. Terefore, this study aims to determine land suitability criteria for hybrid maize in Boalemo Regency based on the optimum yield and land quality. It was carried out in Boalemo Regency, Indonesia, where the land unit of 67 units was surveyed to obtain land characteristics data. A partial least square of structural equation model (PLS•SEM) with SmartPLS 8.0 was used to select a robust land quality controlling hybrid maize yield, while the boundary line method was used to determine optimum yield and dif• ferentiating of land suitability criteria. Te result showed that land qualities that defne the optimum yield of hybrid maize were root conditions, nutrient availability, nutrient retentions, land preparation, and erosion hazard. Te soil characteristics were efective depth, coarse material, organic C, total N, K exchangeable, slopes, soil erosion, rock outcrops, and surface rocks. Furthermore, the highest optimum yield of 8.54 ton/ha was achieved by the total N and slopes for a very suitable class (S1), while the lowest of 5.58 ton/ha was obtained by exchangeable K for class S1. Tis showed that the combination of PLS•SEM and boundary line analysis was a better approach to developing new land suitability criteria for hybrid maize. 1. Introduction Food security and farmer prosperity are global concerns; this makes every country increase crop production as well as farmers’ income. An important issue for countries with developing economies is ensuring food security, where the agricultural sector plays a strategic role in increasing food availability [1]. Although the global food system has placed maize (Zea mays L.) as the leading cereal crop [2], its productivity is being disrupted by land degradation, water scarcity, and climate change [3]. In Indonesia, the wet tropical climate with rainfall and high temperatures tends to reduce the quality of land and agricultural products [4]. Tis country ranked 8th among the maize•producing nations with a contribution of 2.19% and 2.42% of the world’s total harvested area [5]. However, the main problem is the relatively low level of yield in several regions because the achievement of maize production has not been followed by an increase in yield per unit area [6]. Tis is indicated by the average yield in 2020, which was up to 5.57 ton/ha [5]. According to a previous investigation, maize production in Indonesia can reach between 10 and 12 ton/ha [7, 8], thereby making the country the 21st leading importer in the world. In Indonesia, Gorontalo Province is one of the centers of maize production, where the hybrid type is the most widely grown species [9]. Te maize production in the province reached 1.8 million tons in 2021 [10], with several export Hindawi Applied and Environmental Soil Science Volume 2023, Article ID 3800877, 18 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/3800877