 Often the soil is highly alkaline, and a deficiency in nitrogen, potash, and iron severely limits agricultural potential.Ten percent of the land, or about 26 km², is cultivated with taro, bananas, coconuts, and other fruit.Only the lush island of Fuvammulah produces fruits such as oranges and pineapples - partly because the terrain of Fuvammulah sits higher than most other islands, leaving the groundwater less subject to seawater penetration.