29 Land Resources of Central Nigeria Agricultural Deveippment Possibilities Volume 6B Kano Plains ° °
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29 Land resources of central Nigeria Agricultural deveippment possibilities Volume 6B Kano Plains ° ° . o , " , Qd^fögssm^Gass^^ ° * * " • • o - ' d ° n ° Scanned from original by ISRIC - World Soil Information, as ICSU World Data Centre for Soils. The purpose is to make a safe depository for endangered documents and to make the accrued information available for consultation, following Fair Use Guidelines. Every effort is taken to respect Copyright of the materials within the archives where the identification of the Copyright holder is clear and, where feasible, to contact the originators. For questions please contact «="•» jgriri^iwur.nl indicating the item reference number concerned. Land resources of central Nigeria Agricultural development possibilities Volume 6B The Kano Plains ISSN 0305-6554 ISBN 0 902409 91 3 1H5S Land Resources Development Centre Land resources of central Nigeria Agricultural development possibilities Volume 6B The Kano Plains Land Resources Development Centre Central Nigeria Project Team (ed. J R D Wall) J Abah, J G Bennett, A Blair Rains, P N Gosden, W J Howard, A A Hutcheon, J Ibanga, S Kalejaiye, W B Kerr, J E Mansfield, L J Rackham, R Rose-lnnes, J Valette Land Resource Study 29 Land Resources Development Centre, Ministry of Overseas Development, Tolworth Tower, Surbiton, Surrey, England KT6 7DY 1979 LAND RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT CENTRE* The Land Resources Development Centre of the Ministry of Overseas Development assists developing countries in mapping, investigating and assessing land resources, and makes recommendations on the use of these resources for the development of agriculture, livestock husbandry and forestry; it also gives advice on related subjects to overseas governments and organisations, makes scientific personnel available for appointment abroad and provides lectures and training courses in the basic techniques of resource appraisal and development. The Centre works in close cooperation with government departments, research institutes, universities and international organisations concerned with land resources assessment and development planning. *The name of the former Land Resources Division was changed to Land Resources Development Centre in June 1978. CENTRE DE DEVELOPPEMENT DES RESSOURCES DE LA TERRE* Le Centre de Developpement des Ressources de la Terre (l'un des organismes scientifiques du Ministère britannique de Developpement Outremer) apporte son aide aux pays en voie de developpement en matière de cartographic, recherche et evaluation des ressources de la terre et fournit des recommandations quant a 1'exploitation de ces ressources pour le developpement de 1'agriculture, l'elevage et la sylviculture. Le Centre conseille egalement, dans les domaines annexes, gouvernments et organismes outremer, se charge de trouver du personnel seientifique pour les postes a pourvoir a l'etranger et organise des conferences et des stages de formation sur les techniques de base relatives a 1'evaluation et la mise en valeur des ressources. Le Centre travaille en etroite cooperation avec services gouvernementaux, instituts de recherche, universites et organismes internationaux s'occupant d'evaluation des ressources de la terre et de plans de developpement. *L'ancienne Division des Ressources de la Terre (Land Resources Division) a éte renommée Centre de Developpement des Ressources de la Terre (Land Resources Development Centreren juin 1978. IV List of volumes Title: land resources of central Nigeria: agricultural development possibil ities. LRDC Central Nigeria Project Team (Eds I D Hill and J R D Wall) Volume 1A The Bauchi Plains, Executive Summary Volume 1B The Bauchi Plains Volume 2A The Jos Plateau, Executive Summary Volume 2B The Jos Plateau Volume 3A The Jema'a Platform, Executive Summary Volume 3B The Jema»a Platform Volume 4-A The Benue Valley, Executive Summary Volume 4B The Benue Valley Volume 5-A- The Kaduna Plains, Executive Summary Volume 5B The Kaduna Plains Volume 6A The Kano Plains, Executive Summary Volume 6B The Kano Plains Volume 7 An atlas of resource maps v WOTBCE TO READERS This published report is derived from a draft issued to the Nigerian Federal and State Authorities in 1977. Readers concerned primarily with administrative or policy decisions in relation to agricultural development will find a summary of the various types of agricultural development considered and where each can be located in the Kano,. Plains in Volume 6A of this report, together with a precis. The attention of readers requiring more detailed discussions is drawn to the section on the use of the report in Part 1 (p.5) of this volume. Technical, supporting information can be found in the reports listed on p. xiii. Throughout this report the word "agriculture" has been used in a broad sense to include crop production, range management and forestry. vi Contents LIST OF TEXT MAPS ix LIST OF SEPARATE MAPS ix ABSTRACT AND KEYWORDS xi LIST OF LRDC REPORTS ON THE KANO PLAINS xiii PART 1 INTRODUCTION 1 Preface 1 Summary v 2 Objectives 3 Methods 3 Fieldwork and team composition 3 Reporting 4 Use of the report 5 Crops considered 7 Administrative units 8 Acknowledgements 8 PART 2 ASPECTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT 9 Location 9 Climate 9 Relief and drainage 13 Geology 13 Landforms 14 Soils - Soil classification 16 Soil genesis 17 Soil patterns 17 Soil fertility 19 Vegetation 20 Present land use - Density of cultivation 23 Distribution of cultivation 24 Present farming systems 25 Livestock 26 vii Agricultural infrastructure 27 Rangeland 28 Forestry 32 PART 3 ENVIRONMENTAL LIMITATIONS TO DEVELOPMENT 35 Introduction 35 Climatic factors in relation to crop growth 35 Land systems with five crop options 38 Land systems with four crop options 44 Land systems with three crop options 51 Land systems with two crop options 59 Land systems with one crop option 70 Land systems with moderate or severe limitations to arable crops 73 Land systems unsuitable for arable crops 79 PART 4 AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT POSSIBILITIES 81 Types of development 81 Assessment of areas for agricultural development 81 Integrated agricultural development projects 86 Large mechanised farms 96 Improvement of traditional grazing 100 Establishment of grazing reserves 105 Establishment of dairy farms and feedlots 108 Forestry development for production of timber 112 Forestry development for production of firewood and poles 112 Forestry development for environmental reasóns 119 Research needs 124 Constraints to development 126 PART 5 REFERENCES 129 APPENDIX 1 INTERPRETATION OF SOIL DATA AI APPENDIX 2 ASSESSMENT OF EROSION HAZARD (\IS APPENDIX 3 MINIMUM SIZE OF ECONOMIC FARM UNIT A17 viii following page TEXT MAPS 6.1 Project area 1 6.2 Location of the Kano Plains 2 6.3 Administrative boundaries post-1976 4 6.4 Isohyets and length of rainy period lO 6.5 Thiesson polygons and rainfall lO 6.6 Relief 14 6.7 Drainage basins 14 6.8 Physiographic units 16 6.9 Vegetation 20 6.10 Areas suitable for integrated rural development projects 88 6.11 Areas suitable for large mechanised farms 100 6.12 Areas suitable for improvement of traditional grazing 102 6.13 Areas suitable for establishment of grazing reserves 106 6.14 Areas suitable for cattle ranches or dairy farms 112 6.15 Forest reserves for production of firewood and poles 114 6.16 Areas requiring reservation or strict conservation 120 -SEPARATE MAPS (in separate folder) 1. Land systems - the Kano Plains (Sheets a, b and c) 2 Present land use - the Kano Plains (Sheets a, b and c) 3 Crop options based on environmental limitations - the Kano Plains (Sheets a, b and c) 4 Agricultural development possibilities - the Kano Plains (Sheets a, b and c) MICROFICHES(inside back cover) BENNETT J G, HUTCHEON A A, IBANGA J, KERR W B, MANSFIELD J E, RACKHAM L J, ROSE INNES R & VALETTE J (1978) Land resources of central Nigeria. Landforms, soils and vegetation of the Kano Plains. Volume 1, Landforms and soils. Volume 2, Climate and vegetation. Volume 3, Land systems. Land Resource Report 20. IX Abstract and keywords ABSTRACT The Kano Plains area (30 970 km2) of the LRDC Central Nigeria Project is briefly described in terms of its climate, landform, geology, soils and natural vegetation. Present land use is described in relation to the intensity and distribution of cultivation, present farming systems, cattle production and forestry activities. This information is used to identify areas in which the environmental limitations are at a minimum for the growth of maize, millet (Pennisetum americanum), sorghum, groundnuts and cotton. Areas suitable for different types of agricultural development, including livestock and forestry, have been identified. Microfiches of reports supplying additional data on the area are appended. RESUME La region de Kano Plains qui fait partie de l'aire etudiee par le Projet * *» • •* Nigeria da Centre est brievement decrite en termes de climat, modele, geologie, sols et vegetation naturelle. On decrit 1'utilisation de la terre par rapport a l'intensite et la distribution des cultures, les systemes de cultivation, l'elevage du betail et la sylviculture. Par moyen de cette information, on distingue les aires ou les limitations imposees par le milieu sont minimales en egard de la cultivation du mais, du millet (Pennisetum americanum), du sorgho, des arachides, et du coton. Les aires qui conviennent aux divers types de la mise en valeur agricole, inclus l'elevage de bétail et la sylviculture, sont signales. Des microfiches fournissent des donnés additionelles sur la region. DESCRIPTORS FOR COORDINATE INDEXING Nigeria, Kano, climate, landform, soils, present land use, farming systems, livestock, forestry, agricultural development, maize, millet, sorghum, groundnuts, cotton. XI List of LRDC reports on the Kano Plains A full list is given below of the reports on the Kano Plains issued by the Land Resources Development Centre. They contain information for the specialist. They are obtainable only with the agreement of the Nigerian Government. BAWDEN M G & RACKHAM L J (1969) The physiography of the basement land province: interim report on the land resources of central Nigeria.