RECONNAISSANCE STUDY USING GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGY FOR SOIL PROPERTIES BASELINE DATA FOR PRECISION FARMING IN AKURE NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA

• K.A. Ogunro

  Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management. Federal university of technology, Akure, Nigeria.

  Author

• A.J. Adeyemo

  Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management. Federal university of technology, Akure, Nigeria.

  Author

• F.O. Adekayode

  Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management. Federal university of technology, Akure, Nigeria.

  Author

Reconnaissance soil survey was carried out to obtain soil data that served to provide baseline soil information for soil fertility studies of Akure North Local Government Area (Latitude 5 45 ′ and 7 52 ′ N and longitude 4 20 ′ and 6 05 ′ E). Ondo state, Nigeria. Three steps of preliminary investigation, field and laboratory studies were carried out between January and December 2022. Soil samples were taken in 54 locations and was analyzed for soil physical and chemical properties. The soil physical properties were the percentage gravel and soil texture specifying percentage sand, silt and clay. The chemical properties were pH, percentage Nitrogen, phosphorus, exchangeable cations, organic matter and cation exchange capacity. The spatial distributions of nutrients were obtained by interpolation technique using the kriging spatial analysis while the fertility status were obtained by overlay spatial analysis. The spatial analysis and interpretations of the soil characteristics of the study area successfully demonstrate that the GIS and geo-statistical approaches are powerful tools in evaluation and describing the spatial analysis and mapping of the soil properties over the study area. production by 2080 and the situation will worsen in developing countries. Climate change contributes to extreme event like heat and cold stresses, uneven distribution of rain, drought and flood, storms etc., all have an intense impact on crop yields. (Anwer et al., 2019). However according to (World bank, 2019), with the development of latest technology, this loss may be reduced by the noble application of Geospatial Technology (GT), the geospatial technology has certainly play a crucial role to decision makers in forming strategies for management of agricultural crops and thus productivity and production. The Technology is an emerging field of study that includes Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS) and Global Positioning System (GPS). Introduction Over the years, the imbalance between growing food demand of the world burgeoning population and agricultural produce worsened the situation. Biotic and abiotic factors, including unfavorable harsh temperatures, water scarcity, poor soil, and insect pests, diseases and weeds, are main limiting factors that can affect agricultural productivity, production and ultimately food security (Garima et al., 2022). Moreover, the climate change or disturbed climate has an enormous negative impact on agricultural productivity and production of the world especially areas of tropical zones. Globally, climate is changing day by day and it is anticipated 20 % reduction in agricultural 206

1. K.A. Ogunro, Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management. Federal university of technology, Akure, Nigeria.

   Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management. Federal university of technology, Akure, Nigeria.

2. A.J. Adeyemo, Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management. Federal university of technology, Akure, Nigeria.

   Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management. Federal university of technology, Akure, Nigeria.

3. F.O. Adekayode, Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management. Federal university of technology, Akure, Nigeria.

   Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management. Federal university of technology, Akure, Nigeria.

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