54 Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment, Vol.17 (3&4), July-October 2019 www.wflpublisher.com Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment Vol.17 (3&4):54-64. 2019 WFL Publisher Science and Technology Meri-Rastilantie 3 B, FI-00980 Helsinki, Finland e-mail: contact@wflpublisher.com Received 10.6.2019, accepted 12.9.2019. Soil properties and suitability evaluation for current agricultural land use types in Ibadan, South-West Nigeria Julius Romiluyi Orimoloye *, Abimbola O. Adegbiji and Gabriel Emiola Akinbola Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. *e-mail: juliusorimoloye@gmail.com, jr.orimoloye@ui.edu.ng Abstract This study was carried out to evaluate the variations and suitability of some soils located within the University of Ibadan for their current land uses. Six soil types were selected and profiled based on their current land use types which are paddock, forest, cassava, fallow land, maize/vegetable and oil palm plantation. The morphological properties of the soils were examined in standard soil profiles. Samples were collected from the surface (0-15 cm) and from each pedogenic horizon of the profiles for laboratory analysis. Suitability evaluation was carried out using land use requirements and factor rating for each of the land use types following parametric and non-parametric methods. The soils were classified at Series level as Olorunda (Typic Kanhaplustalf), Makun (Plinthic Haplustalf), Iwo (Typic Kandiustalf), Mamu (Plinthic Kandiustalf), Adio (Aquic Udifluvent) and Matako (Fluventic Haplustept). The evaluation methods used revealed that Olorunda and Mamu series currently used as paddock and fallow land, respectively, are highly suitable (S1) for cassava production while Makun and Iwo series currently used as forest and cassava, respectively, are moderately and marginally suitable (S3) for cassava production but highly suitable (S1) for maize production. However, Adio and Matako series currently used for maize cultivation are best suited as a forested area due to drainage problems. The common constraints to current land use types are soil fertility, climate, drainage and topography. This study revealed that current land use types are sometimes not the best suited in terms of land potentials which calls for proper land evaluation for any area that would be used for agricultural purposes in the future. Key words: Soil types, land suitability evaluation, soil classification, land use requirements. Introduction Agriculture is an important economic activity in many parts of the world, especially in developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia as described by Naab et al. 1 . In Nigeria, agriculture is the major source of livelihood of a large proportion of the population, with over 70% of rural dwellers engaged in agricultural activities. However, the dearth of accurate information on soils for proper agricultural land use pre-requisite for sustainable planning and management of agricultural resources, has been a major impediment to the growth of the agricultural sector in the country as stated by Sharu et al. 2 . This has resulted in poor agricultural practices with inappropriate land use and management, leading to a decline in agricultural production 3- 5 . Land use practices vary considerably across the world. FAO 6 explained, that land use involves the products and/or benefits obtained from use of land as well as the land management actions (activities) carried out by humans to produce those products and benefits. However, land use can only be optimized when the soil properties or land qualities match the requirements of the land use. Different land use types on the same soil type or same land use on different soil types may influence the soil differently and may affect future utilization of the soils 35 . Ameztegui et al. 7 also viewed land use as the single most important variable of global land cover change which is affecting ecological systems. Sustainable land use is predicated on available soil inventory information which can be used to develop solutions for natural resource management issues. Ogunkunle 5 has pointed out the low crop yields and soil productivity potential in Nigeria is due to inappropriate allocation of for site-specific uses based on suitability evaluations. In addition, inappropriate land use practices have also led to soil degradation, deforestation, erosion and sometimes, complete destruction of the soil 3, 8, 9 . The suitability of soils for a particular crop or a specific land use is indicated by the kinds and extent of soil limitations that may impede the cultivation of the crop. Land evaluation using a scientific procedure is essential to assess the potential and constraints of a given land parcel for agricultural purposes. The knowledge of soil limitations arising from land evaluation reports therefore aims at providing practical approaches to ameliorating such limitations before, or during the cropping period 10 . Land suitability classifications based on knowledge of crop requirement, of prevailing soil conditions, qualify in broad terms to what extent soil conditions match the areas. The following soil parameters, cation exchange capacity, soil organic matter content expressed by the organic carbon content, soil depth and stoniness, are amongst the main factors that influence crop adaptability to a given land area 11 . This study was carried out to assess the suitability or fitting of current agricultural land use types within the University of Ibadan community. Materials and Methods Description of the study area: This study was conducted on selected land use types within the University of Ibadan, Oyo