Can Akwa Ibom Agriculture flourish Without Soil Mapping?
By UbongAbasi Ise
Lands are not the same in texture and biochemical composition. Hence, lands, based on types could be used for varying purposes such as crop production, forestation, landscaping, grazing, and so on. Accordingly, the nature of land stands to determine the kind of crop that could be cultivated on a particular soil. This also influences the kind and quantity of fertilizer suitable for application. In other words, soil type stands to influence the resource potential of a land. In agriculture, according to Prof. Peter I. Ogban during the Sensitization Workshop on Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) for Increases in Food Production in South-south Zone held in the University of Uyo in Apirl, it is imperative to look out for soil's ability to respond to agronomic treatments or perform agronomic production functions. Soil's agronomic production functions depend on: inherent soil properties, characteristics and processes, and soil use and management.
As Akwa Ibom State government is seeking agricultural revolution, the first step to take ought to be the determination of soil quality in order to understand which soil is really suitable for the cultivation of a particular crop. Once quoted by The Sensor, Dr. Jude Obi, a lecturer in the Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Management, University of Uyo, stressed that major problem here in Nigeria, especially in the South-South region is that the soil is not properly understood. In his years of studying of soils in Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Obi maintained that he discovered that there is no properly produced soil map that would have given idea of the suitability of the state soils for cultivation. Since that has not been achieved, he was of opinion that every effort directed at agriculture is built on sand which means that there is no foundation.
Speaking further, Obi called for land suitability evaluation map which indicates what can be produced at a particular place sustainably and profitably. According to him, if mapping was done, it would have become a foundation of agriculture in the state because it could have given the state government a guide on which crop to lay emphasis on, and the ones to diminish or to suspend to a later time.
In his paper titled 'Improving farmers' livelihood through knowledge based production system: Contributions of Soil sampling and analysis' presented at Sensitization Workshop on Integrated Soil Fertility Management in the South - South Zone of Nigeria in University of Uyo, Dr. Jude Obi further deepened the discussion on the importance of soil mapping saying that it provides inventory of available resources both in quantity and quality.
“The knowledge of types of soil, extent and variability constitute a major requirement for appropriate management which translates to yield and livelihood of farmers. The designation of distribution and variability of soils is in field observation (soil survey). The major constraint to the knowledge of soils is the absence or inadequacy of soil map. Soil map provides inventory of available resources both in quantity and quality. This equally provides knowledge base for soil variability, crop yield variability and input allocation for optimal return (efficiency of resource utilization).
“Land evaluation does not only provide suitability information for various crops but also information on conservation and management which ensure efficiency of resource allocation and sustainability (protect the soil and environment for the farmers' subsequent livelihood), on the long run, return for investment. Any serious effort to support/encourage agricultural activities
must emphasize the creation of such platform that enables prospective investor to avoid such initial processes such as soil survey and land evaluation.
Lands are not the same in texture and biochemical composition. Hence, lands, based on types could be used for varying purposes such as crop production, forestation, landscaping, grazing, and so on. Accordingly, the nature of land stands to determine the kind of crop that could be cultivated on a particular soil. This also influences the kind and quantity of fertilizer suitable for application. In other words, soil type stands to influence the resource potential of a land. In agriculture, according to Prof. Peter I. Ogban during the Sensitization Workshop on Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) for Increases in Food Production in South-south Zone held in the University of Uyo in Apirl, it is imperative to look out for soil's ability to respond to agronomic treatments or perform agronomic production functions. Soil's agronomic production functions depend on: inherent soil properties, characteristics and processes, and soil use and management.As Akwa Ibom State government is seeking agricultural revolution, the first step to take ought to be the determination of soil quality in order to understand which soil is really suitable for the cultivation of a particular crop. Once quoted by The Sensor, Dr. Jude Obi, a lecturer in the Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Management, University of Uyo, stressed that major problem here in Nigeria, especially in the South-South region is that the soil is not properly understood. In his years of studying of soils in Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Obi maintained that he discovered that there is no properly produced soil map that would have given idea of the suitability of the state soils for cultivation. Since that has not been achieved, he was of opinion that every effort directed at agriculture is built on sand which means that there is no foundation.
Speaking further, Obi called for land suitability evaluation map which indicates what can be produced at a particular place sustainably and profitably. According to him, if mapping was done, it would have become a foundation of agriculture in the state because it could have given the state government a guide on which crop to lay emphasis on, and the ones to diminish or to suspend to a later time.
In his paper titled 'Improving farmers' livelihood through knowledge based production system: Contributions of Soil sampling and analysis' presented at Sensitization Workshop on Integrated Soil Fertility Management in the South - South Zone of Nigeria in University of Uyo, Dr. Jude Obi further deepened the discussion on the importance of soil mapping saying that it provides inventory of available resources both in quantity and quality.
“The knowledge of types of soil, extent and variability constitute a major requirement for appropriate management which translates to yield and livelihood of farmers. The designation of distribution and variability of soils is in field observation (soil survey). The major constraint to the knowledge of soils is the absence or inadequacy of soil map. Soil map provides inventory of available resources both in quantity and quality. This equally provides knowledge base for soil variability, crop yield variability and input allocation for optimal return (efficiency of resource utilization).
“Land evaluation does not only provide suitability information for various crops but also information on conservation and management which ensure efficiency of resource allocation and sustainability (protect the soil and environment for the farmers' subsequent livelihood), on the long run, return for investment. Any serious effort to support/encourage agricultural activities
must emphasize the creation of such platform that enables prospective investor to avoid such initial processes such as soil survey and land evaluation.
Culled from The Sensor Newspaper Agric Suite
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