The effectiveness of small-scale irrigated agriculture in the reclamation of mine land soils on the Jos Plateau of Nigeria

Abstract

Examines how small-scale farmers have ignored advice and, using the valuable water resources formed by flooded mining paddocks, have successfully reclaimed areas of mine soils for intensive, irrigated, arable agriculture. They have raised significantly both the level of the major nutrients and the soil pH to a point where the sustained cultivation of in excess of 20 crops is possible. That this can be achieved within a period of less than 12 months raises major questions about institutional reclamation policies.