Abstract:
Land evaluation was conducted in Butuguri area, Butiama District, Mara Region to assess
land’s suitability for cassava, maize and sorghum production. After reviewing literature
and discussing with farmers and extension officers, five criteria for growing crops were
selected which are: soil physical properties, soil chemical fertility, rainfall, temperature
and topography. The Analytical Hierarchical Process was used to assign relative
importance weights to the chosen criteria. Spatial information regarding the selected
criteria were generated. Soil information was obtained by combining transects and free
soil surveys after the preparation and confirmation of the base map. Climatic data were
obtained from WorldClim and topographic data using Digital Elevation Map image
(DEM). Seven soil units were mapped in Geographical Information System (GIS) after
field and laboratory works. Soils were classified to four USDA soil orders: Inceptisols,
Entisols, Alfisols and Mollisols. They were further classified to seven subgroups: Entic
Haplustolls, Oxyaquic Haplustepts, Typic Kandiustalfs, Humic Dystrustepts, Typic
Dystrustepts, Typic Ustipsamments and Vermic Ustorthents. In World Reference Base
(WRB), soils were grouped into five Reference Soil Groups: Chernozems, Cambisols,
Umburisols, Leptosols and Regosols and further classified into seven groups: Fractic
Chernic Phaeozems (Colluvic, Novic), Ferralic Dolomitic Cambisols (Arenic, Aric),
Cambic Acric Umbrisol (Arenic, Pachic), Skeletic Andic Cambisol (Aric, Ferric), Andic,
Fragic Cambisol (Alcalic, Arenic), Gleyic Technic Leptosol (Arenic, Aric) and Brunic,
Leptic Regosol (Arenic, Aric). Climate spatial information showed that the area has
average temperature ranging between 21.1 o C and 22.2 o C, and annual rainfall ranging
between 930 and 1160 mm. Topography spatial data showed the level, sloping to
mountainous lands. The assigned weights indicated that soil’s physical and chemical
fertility were the most important attributes for growing cassava and sorghum, while
rainfall was the most important factor for growing maize. The resulting suitability maps
established indicated that soil physical and chemical properties were the most limiting for
production of the three crops, although rainfall, temperature and topography were the least
limiting.
