Abstract
A study to assess soil fertility status was conducted in the lowland rice growing soils of Ebonyi South-East Nigeria situated within latitude 60 41, N and longitude 80 51 E, and 104.40 m above sea level. The assessment covered all the villages that produce rice in the three major rice producing zones of Ebonyi state with Ebiaunuhu, Ogboji and Akaeze representing Ebonyi North, Central and South zones respectively. Soil samples were collected from the rice growing lowland zones at 0-30cm depth using soil auger attached to a core sampler. A total of 250 soil samples were collected from each of the 100 hectare lowland soils of the zones and analyzed for chemical fertility indicators. The data was analyzed for means and percentages and the results were ranked using fertility standard according to Landon. The results revealed that total nitrogen, organic matter and cation exchange capacity were in low in all the zones while P was adequate in all the zones and K was high for the soils studied. Calcium concentration was high in the north but low in the central and southern zones. The soils require good input of N-fertilizer and organic matter to boost CEC and therefore increase the yield of rice in these lowland soils of Ebonyi State.
Highlights
In Nigeria, rice was once reserved for ceremonial occasions, but with rising incomes and the relative convenience with which it can be processed and preserved (Onwuchekwa,1988) the popularity of rice has increased to the point where it has become the most popular cereal crop in Nigeria
The overall comparatively low rice production hectarage across the country may even be lower in Ebonyi State of Nigeria, the Case Study State of this research work
The federal Government of Nigeria has as a result addressed increasing rice production needs through various development plans and projects, banned the importation of rice but instead of increasing the local production rather increased the cost of the of smuggled rice geometrically .To address this problem the joint research studies of the National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI) Badaggi and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (I.I.T.A.), Ibadan have recommended a total of 43 rice varieties for the various rice growing areas of Nigeria
Summary
In Nigeria, rice was once reserved for ceremonial occasions, but with rising incomes and the relative convenience with which it can be processed and preserved (Onwuchekwa,1988) the popularity of rice has increased to the point where it has become the most popular cereal crop in Nigeria. The federal Government of Nigeria has as a result addressed increasing rice production needs through various development plans and projects, banned the importation of rice but instead of increasing the local production rather increased the cost of the of smuggled rice geometrically .To address this problem the joint research studies of the National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI) Badaggi and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (I.I.T.A.), Ibadan have recommended a total of 43 rice varieties for the various rice growing areas of Nigeria These rice varieties have potential yield of 2-7 tons paddy per hectare and are of good quality but are resistant to most pests and diseases (I.I.T.A, 1995). Efforts to achieve food security and higher cash income (returns) for the rural farmers could be directed towards increasing production of rice through proper soil fertility assessment and irrigation practices
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
