Vol. 9, Issue 10, Part A (2023)

This study examined the influence of the environment on sustainable crop production, encompassing the central and southern Plateau in north central Nigeria. The environment had been characterized from Sentinel 2 images using Google Earth Engine. A total of 746 soil samples were collected, and soil texture variations were prepared using inverse distance weighted interpolation. Additionally, the elevation and slope of the area were derived from SRTM RADAR images. The environment was classified into various categories, including rock outcrop (1065 km2), forest (1054 km2), shrubland (6913 km2), grassland (7324 km2), agricultural land (14,252 km2), built-up (416 km2), bare surface (138 km2), water bodies (37 km2), and wetland (4 km2).

The results of soil analysis revealed nine textural classes, ranging from sandy (571 km2), sandy clay (3293 km2), sandy loam (3961 km2), sandy clay loam (4681 km2), clay (2882 km2), clay loam (2370 km2), loam (1661 km2), silty clay (1431 km2), and silty clay loam (317 km2). The elevation and slope of the area ranged from 95m to 1681m and 20 to 540, respectively. These thematic maps were interpreted both quantitatively and qualitatively to assess the environmental impact on sustainable agriculture.

Based on these findings, it was determined that terrain, soil properties, and climate were the environmental factors influencing the extent of crop cultivation in the area. The combination of these three factors determined the specific crops that could be grown in particular areas. The results indicated that agricultural land was the most dominant land use class, occupying approximately 14,252 km2 (45.7%) of the total land area. Regarding terrain, the results showed that sustainable crop production could not thrive in areas with high altitudes due to the rocky nature, which primarily allowed for terrace and contour farming practices due to environmental constraints. Climate was identified as a significant factor determining the location of crops, accounting for much of the spatial differences in the types of crops grown across the area.

The study also revealed that different crops had varying requirements for the amount of light and temperature needed to thrive. Sorghum thrived well in areas with high altitudes, while rice crops required a hot and humid climate. In contrast, maize and potatoes were considered low-temperature and low-humidity crops. This study clearly demonstrated the significance of the environment on sustainable agriculture and its influence on the spatial distribution of crops in the area.