Land Suitability Assessment for Maize Production in Kuje Area Council, Abuja, Nigeria

Achieving optimum yield of maize can meaningfully be supported by land suitability analysis in order to guarantee self-sufficiency for future production optimization. This study aimed to assess and map land suita-bility for maize production in Kuje Area Council, Abuja through analysis of parameters such as Landuse and landcover (LULC) classification, slope, elevation, temperature, soil reaction, soil texture, nitrogen, phospho-rus and potassium using Geospatial Techniques. The objectives of the study are: (a) to identify and map vari-ous factors that determine the suitability of land for maize production in Kuje Area Council, (b) to examine the influence of the identified factors on maize production in the study area and, (c) to produce suitability map for maize production in the study area. Chemical elements influencing soil properties such as Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, soil texture and pH, and climate data were used to validate Land suitability analysis for maize production. Time series analysis was carried out to determine LULC classes as a determinant of land suitability for maize production using maximum likelihood algorithm of supervised classification in ArcGIS 10.8 software. Time series data set of Landsat and Shuttle Radar Topographic Mapping (SRTM), and soil data were used to generated LULC classes, slope and aspect, and soil mapping units in the study area. Soil characteristic was determined for suitability for maize farming in the study area using multi-criteria analysis of soil, geological composition, slope and aspect, precipitation, Land surface temperature and evapo-transpiration. Suitability was categorized into highly, moderately and low categories based on Food and Agri-cultural Organisation of the United Nation (FAO) classification, using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique. The study identified factors such as LULC classes, slope, elevation, temperature, soil reaction, soil texture, nitrogen, and phosphorus and potassium contents to be determinants of maize production. A suitabil-ity map for maize farming was produce for the study. The study revealed that LULC has the highest percent-age of 0.304 (30.4%), while elevation has the lowest percentage of 0.043 (4.3%). The consistency ratio (CR) value was determined to be zero (0). Land suitability for maize production therefore showed that about 58% of the area is moderately suitable for maize production, 39% low suitable, why only 3% of the study area is less suitable for maize production. Location such as Leka, Tugba, Kabi, Shaji, Kujekwa are marginally suita-ble for cultivating maize. While Chukwuku, Gwagwalada, Pegi, and Kuje town are Less suitable areas for maize production due to the fact that they are located in built-up areas. Location within the study area with less than 3% is not suitable for maize production because of poor soil nutrient. Therefore, the study recom-mended soil conservation by the application of organic fertilizer, mulching and leguminous cover crops to enhance soil quality. The study has in store necessary information that farmers need for maize farming in the study area