LAND EVALUATION FOR CROP PRODUCTION USING SPATIAL TECHNOLOGY IN AKURE NORTH AND SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS ONDO STATE

Abstract

The study was carried out in Akure North and South Local Government Area (L.G.A) of Ondo State. The sites were divided into Map Grids and pedon established within the grids. Sixteen profile pits were dug. The soils were characterized and described on the field and samples collected for textural analysis. The area occurs on level plain with little slope gradient, the surface horizons (A0 and A1) were weak medium crumby to moderate medium crumby structures while the subsurface horizons (Btg1, Btg2 and Btg3 ) showed moderate medium blocky structure. The soils are generally deep and well drained at the top soil with coarse texture; the subsoils are characterized by prominent presence of mottles. The distribution of clay content increased with soil depth for all pedons. Most of the Pedons had reddish grey colour (2.5YR 4/1) and dull reddish brown 2.5YR 4/3 at the surface horizons (A1 and A2), over brownish colour (7.5YR 4/4) and dull reddish brown (5YR 4/4) sub soil. Spatial distribution of the study area revealed land use and their effects on distribution of soil nutrients. The soil mapping shows different land use and the distribution of the specific soil nutrients. Major soil nutrients and their spatial distribution in relation to land use (pH, OM, N, P, and K) were interpolated using ArcGIS Version 10.3, Microsoft Office, and Erdas Imagine 2014. SOC-pool at Federal College of Agriculture topsoil horizon A0 and A1 is significantly higher than all horizons, 67.83 th⁻¹. The chemical properties of the pedons have shown that the soil in the study sites were acidic to neutral in pH (4.68 – 6.73). The nutrients status of the soil topsoil A1 and A2 indicates that the soils have a low potential for retaining plant nutrients, and therefore call for adequate soil management. Land suitability classification using parametric method modified by Udoh and Ogunkunle. Pedons were subjected to routine physical and chemical analysis. The result showed that sand dominated the study areas and the soils were deep to very deep, Organic carbon, ECEC, total nitrogen and Available phosphorus content of the soils were low while exchangeable cations were rated low to moderate. The suitability result showed that potentially only pedon 2 (Saasa) and pedon 14 (Seebi) are highly suitable (S1) for oil palm production while other ranged from moderately suitable to marginally suitable and currently, none of the areas are highly suitable for oil palm cultivation while pedon 4, 12 and 16 (Oda, Olokuta and Ijoka-Olope) are not suitable (N1) respectively, but other pedons are moderately suitable (S2) and marginally suitable (S3), The major limitation identified are low fertility status. For cocoa cultivation; none of the study areas are highly suitable (S1) both potentially and currently. Pedon 3, 4, 5, 10, 14 and 16 are currently not suitable for cocoa cultivation while others are marginally suitable (S3). The major limitation factor is the soil fertility.