Land Suitability For Irish Potato (Solanum tuberosumL.) In Rugu-Rugu Village of Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

Lack of soil information contributed to the low output especially in the drylands region. This study conducted
land evaluation for Irish potato cultivation under fadama irrigation management in Rugu-Rugu district, TudunWada Local Government Area, Kano state. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) framework was
adopted. Simple random sampling method was used in the collections of soil samples in each of the mapping
units. Three soil mapping units were identified on the basis of soil characteristics which includes the
Recessional land (RA), Lower fadama land (LF) and the Upper fadama land (UF). The result indicated that
mapping unit RA (Recessional land) was found to have only two limitations – soils chemical properties and
drainage, mapping unit LF (Lower fadama land) was found to have four limitations – soils chemical properties,
slope, drainage and land workability and mapping unit UF (Upper fadama land) was the most serious with five
limitations – soils chemical properties, slope, drainage, erosion hazard and land workability. The study
recommends for application of organic and inorganic fertilizers in a complimentary manner, drainage network
of the irrigated area should be revisited and ridges to be constructed across the slope direction.