Land development

Soil is a vital resource for crop production hence there is the need for land development. A fertile soil, therefore, is a valuable asset to a farmer. From the planting stage to the point of harvesting, the crop is nurtured within the soil.

Vegetation and soil types vary from one area to the other. The vegetation types include rain forest, savanna forest and so on, which are characterized by the sizes and kings of trees, shrubs, grasses and so on. The presence of heavy rocks and bad topography in a given area (land) will render the land useless for farming purposes. Vegetation with bad land terrain and presence of rocks are obstructive generally to mechanized agriculture. Mechanized land development, although very capital – intensive especially in the rain forest zone, is indispensable in mechanized agriculture and usually not within the reach of the peasant farmers.

Land development, encompassing two main operations, these are land clearing and land forming, is important for enhanced crop production.