Comparative Analysis of Soil Health in Backyard Farms on Multiple Islands of The Bahamas

Abstract

Food insecurity is a major concern in The Bahamas due to our inadequate food and agricultural infrastructure and heavy reliance on imports. To mitigate this threat, the Bahamian government has been encouraging homeowners to engage in backyard farming. However, the success of backyard farming relies on the presence of healthy soils. In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis of soil health in backyard farms across several islands in The Bahamas. Our analysis focused on key indicators such as nutrient availability, pH, salinity, water-holding capacity, and organic carbon. Our results revealed that none of the 38 soil samples analysed fell within the optimal range for all of the selected indicators. Our results suggested that soil treated with synthetic fertilizer did not exhibit higher nutrient availability compared to naturally fertilized or unfertilized samples. Additionally, through correlation analysis, we found a positive relationship between organic carbon and water-holding capacity. Conversely, negative correlations were observed between pH and nitrogen, as well as organic carbon and pH. These correlations imply that optimizing pH levels and enhancing water holding capacity may play a crucial role in improving soil health in The Bahamas, with particular attention to increasing organic carbon content.