Soil Characterization and Land Suitability Evaluation for Maize Production in the Peri-Urban Gulum Area of Jalingo, Nigeria

Abstract

Peri‑urban agriculture offers a vital pathway to strengthen food security and urban 
resilience, yet systematic evaluations of land suitability in these transitional 
landscapes remain limited. This study integrated remote sensing and field‑based 
methods to characterize soils and assess their suitability for rainfed maize 
cultivation in the Gulum area of North‑eastern Nigeria. Cultivable land was 
delineated using a Random Forest classifier within Google Earth Engine, 
identifying 409.13 ha (about 70% of the landscape) as arable, with an overall 
accuracy of 91.1% (κ = 0.88) confirming the reliability of the classification. 
Climate parameters such as annual rainfall (1101.5 mm), dry season length (150 
days), and relative humidity (43%) were derived from long‑term satellite‑based 
climatic records, and all were rated as highly suitable (S1). Morphological, 
physical, and chemical analyses of three representative pedons indicated deep, 
well‑drained sandy loam profiles with moderate fertility constraints. Specifically, 
organic carbon (0.73–1.04%), available phosphorus (10.11–12.02 mg kg-1), and 
cation exchange capacity (8.76–9.05 cmol kg-1) were marginal, reducing overall 
land ratings. Suitability classification using the parametric approach categorized 
all three units as moderately suitable (S2–sf), with Index of Productivity (IP) values 
ranging from 50.0 to 70.7, suggesting maize yield potential of 60–75% under 
current conditions. Under improved fertility management, all sites showed 
potential to attain optimal suitability (S1). These findings highlight Gulum’s 
strategic importance as a peri‑urban agricultural zone and emphasize the scope 
for boosting food security through targeted soil fertility management and the 
application of geospatial tools in peri‑urban planning.