Comparative Assessment of Tropical Basins in the Savanna and Rain Forest Ecological Zones for Crop Production in Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract
This paper reviews the precarious situation of agricultural production in Africa and Nigeria specifically, in line with the emerging concepts of geoinformatics, precision farming and sustainable agricultural intensification. To illustrate the feasibility of operationalising these concepts in Nigeria, Ikpoba and Orle River basins (that are of the rain forest and savannah ecological zones, respectively) were classified into land suitability zones for the optimum cultivation of maize, cassava, yam and oil palm. The approach was based on the overlay analysis of updated land features from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and physico-chemical soil properties and soil nutrient attributes according to FAO guidelines and suitability models. Consequently areas in the basins that are highly, moderately and marginally suitable for the production of the selected crops were identified. Composite suitability classes were also established. A comparative assessment of the two basins indicated that Orle River basin was more suitable for the production of all the crops and thus posses’ higher potential for agricultural intensification and precision production of the selected crops than Ikpoba River basin. However, Ikpoba River basin has moderate potential for the production of oil palm and moderate to high potential for maize, with the possibility of all-year production due to the favourable rainfall regime. The constraining nutrient parameters for the production of each crop in the basins were as well as highlighted. It is advocated that the results of this study could serve as a framework for the articulation of precision farming and agricultural intensification strategies in the basins.
Keywords: Agriculture, Land appraisal, Land suitability, River basin, Geoinformatics, Precision farming, Agricultural intensification