Land Suitability Assessment for Cocoa Cultivation in Ife Central Local Government Area, Osun State

Kappo Ayorinde, Rilwani M. Lawal, Muibi K.

Abstract: Cocoa is a major cash crop in Nigeria making the country the leading exporter and second largest producer of cocoa in the world in the 1960?s. However, cocoa production has dropped significantly due to inadequate land information resulting to poor utilization of land and marginal crop yield. Thus, land suitability assessment based on the FAO Land Framework was carried out for cocoa in Ife Central Local Government Area using Geospatial techniques, soil diagnostics survey, and Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE). Soil samples were collected and analysed using standard methods; while other ancillary data with spatial attributes were prepared and analysed using appropriate geospatial techniques. All the data was integrated into a work geo-database from which spatial queries and multi-criteria analysis were carried out. The result of the analysis revealed that 19.44% (28.26 km2) and 25.67% (36.45 km2) are moderately and marginally suitable respectively while 54.38% (77.29 km2) of the study area is not suitable. Some of the constraints affecting the crop suitability are unsuitable soil textures, low organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus and cation exchange capacity (C.E.C). Therefore, this study recommends effective soil management and nutrient enrichment to increase yield and promote sustainable cocoa production.

Keywords: Cocoa, Land Suitability, Geospatial Techniques, MCE, Soil Management