Analysis of Soil Physiochemical Properties on Different Land_use in Mubi North Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria.

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue IX, September 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Analysis of Soil Physiochemical Properties on Different Land_use in Mubi North Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria.

Garandi I. D., Hyelnacha B. A., Baba M. S. and John N.
Department of Geography, Adamawa State University’ Mubi, Adamawa State, Nigeria.

Abstract: Soil physiochemical properties provide basics assessing soil quality for various/different land uses which is fundamental step towards sustainable agricultural and land management. This research aimed at analysing of soil physiochemical properties on different land use in Mubi North Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria. The research was conducted during the rainy season (May to July 2020) with the ob¬jective of evaluating the effects of three-land use practice on soil physiochemical properties. Three major land use types: natural forest, grazing and cultivated lands were selected while a total of 15 soil samples were randomly collected from 0-20cm depth. All land use types were subjected to laboratory analysis and statistical tools such as Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used for hypothesis testing. The results reveal that, Soil pH values ranged from (6.10–6.44), moisture content ranged from (19.86-21.52 %), bulk density ranged from (1.58-1.70 gcm-3), and porosity range from (35.77-40%). The soils are deficient in nitrogen (0.24-0.24 %), potassium (0.24-0.66 Cmol/kg), calcium (2.84-3.10 Cmol/kg), organic carbon ranged from (0.45-1.46 %), magnesium (2.40-2.76 Cmol/kg) and low cation exchange capacity (6.71-7.43 Cmol/kg) due to low levels of organic matter (0.78-2.47 %,). Sand and clay particles, bulk density, silt, pH, total nitrogen, available magnesium, calcium, cation exchange capacity and exchangeable iron were significantly affected (p<0.05) by land use. In contrast, total porosity, bulk density, moisture content, organic carbon organic matter, potassium exchangeable Ca, and sodium were not significantly (p<0.05) affected by land use. The study also recommended the need for detailed soil survey and land use approach in order to know the appropriate land use that is most suitable for the study area, having known its capacity and constraints of the different land uses. Use of set-aside programmes, land use zoning policies that encourage productive and sustainable land use practices should be implemented for sus¬tainable agricultural productivity in the study areas.

Keywords: Soil, Land_use, Physiochemical Properties, Cultivation, Soil quality

I. INTRODUCTION

Soils are important resources that have been exploited for thousands of years for several purposes resulting in their degradation (Eswaran et al., 2001; Junge and Skowronek, 2007). Soil is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. (Kang and Fox 1981). Soil degradation is the physical, chemical and biological decline in soil quality. It can be the loss of organic matter, decline in soil fertility, decline in structural condition, erosion, adverse changes in salinity, acidity or alkalinity, and the effects of toxic chemicals, pollutants or excessive flooding (Adaikwu, Obi and Ali, 2012).

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