483 
Symposium on Remote Sensing for Resources Development and Environmental Management / Enschede / August 1986 
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Farm development using aerial photointerpretation 
in Ruvu River Valley, Ragamoyo, Tanzania, East Africa 
B.P.Mdamu & M.A.Pazi 
Ministry of water energy & minerals project preparation division, Tanzania 
ABSTRACT: Soil survey study using romote sensing techniques is important in agricultural 
development planning. Aerial photography has to be enhanced in acquiring accurate soil 
and other natural resources maps. Aerial photographs were used to delineate soil bounda 
ries of a 10,000 acre farm at Maktirunge Village in Bagamoyo district. The virgin wood 
land project area lies approximately 6.5 and 6.75» South and between 38*5 and 39«0 
East. Rainfall is bimodal with intervening short dry season. Landscape mapping was phy- 
siographically done using 1:50,000 aerial photographs taken in 1966. Landforms were 
almost flat alluvial plain and undulating coastal plain» The soils originated from sedi 
mentary and metamorphic rocks with alluvium deposits. After collecting and analysing a 
total of 206 soil samples, a soil map was compiled at a scale of 1:10,000. Analytical 
data revealed that soils were non-saline with reasonable amounts of available phosphorus, 
nitrogen and organic matter. Proper soil management practices are essential in improving 
the soil conditions. 
1. INTRODUCTION 
1.1. Purpose of the study 
Agriculture is the backbone of Tanzania's 
economy. In 1982 the government outlined 
a national agricultural policy which was 
aimed at foods self sufficiency in the co 
untry. In implementing the policy a nu 
mber of firms government and private, sta 
rted to open up newland for development. 
One of the areas opened up being Makurunge 
Farm in Bagamoyo district. 
However, in order to be precise in land 
planning and soil fertility management 
soils had to be tested scientificaly and 
evaluated. The Project Preparation Divi 
sion in the Ministry of Water, Energy and 
Minerals was requested to carry out a Semi 
detailed soil survey of 10,000 acres and 
make recommendations on the soils potenti- 
lity and fertility status. The field soil 
survey was started on 6th August, 1984 and 
ended up on 4 th September, 1984. A total 
of 52 soil profiles were dug and described 
and 206 soil samples collected for Chemical 
analyses. Therefore this paper is a result 
of the conducted soil survey and the soil 
analyses conducted to determine the soils 
physical and chemical characteristics and 
their suitability to agricultural purposes. 
1.2. Site Location 
The Makurunge farm is in Bagamoyo district 
l6.0km. South West of Bagamoyo township. 
It is bordored in the East by Ruvu riveTr, 
in the south by Msumbiji river, in the No 
rth and North West by the Old Makurunge 
Village. It extends between latitudes 
6.5 south and 6.75 South, and between lo 
ngitudes 38.5° Bast and 39.00° East. The 
area also lies within the coastal belt of 
the Indian ocean and its altitude is within 
200 meters above sea level. Most of the 
area is a virgin woodland w r i th bush. It 
consists of two landscapes namely:- 
1. The coastal plain area and 
2. The Alluvial flood plain. 
In general the entire area has a more or 
less low uniform relief with drainage va 
lleys. 
1.3« Climate 
This area has two rain seasons. The heavy- 
long rains begin in March and end in June 
whereas the short rains normally start in 
October and December. The rains are cau 
sed by the movement of the Inter Tropical 
Convergence zone (ITCZ) over the area. The 
convergence zone moves across the area in 
October when the belt is shifting from the 
Northen hemisphere to the South and some 
time in January when the belt moves from 
the southern hemisphere to the North. The 
duration of the short and long rains de 
pends upon the fluctuations of the belt 
over the area. 
The climatological data obtained from 
Bagamoyo town meteorological station which 
is situated l6.0km East of the Makurunge 
Farm and fo\ind within the same elevation 
of the project area, indicates that the 
mean annual rainfall is between 800 and 
1000mm. The highest rainfall is received 
in April with a precipitation of about 
286.9mm. A pronounced dry season starts 
in June to September. There is a short 
dry season from January to Mid March. The 
average mean tempre is 24.5 C. (figure 2). 
1.4 Geology of the area 
The geological substratum of the region is 
underlain by rocks of the kainozoic system 
which is stratigraphically made up of se 
dimentary and metamorphic rocks. The flood 
plain valley is dominated by recent alluv 
ial material deposited by the river during 
floods. Which consist of silt clay and 
raregravels. The coastal plain area is 
made up of sedimentary and metamorphic 
rocks with interbedded sandy clays and 
scattered gravels; calcareous materials 
are found in some localities at deeper 
depths (l00-150cm) e.g pits number 4-13» 
25-29 (Appendix 1).