Assessment of Soil Fertility in Terms of Essential Nutrients Contents in the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority Project Sites, Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

The focus on this research work is on soil fertility and involves the consideration of soil organic matter, soil structure, soil microbial population etc. Project sites of Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority (LBRBDA) were evaluated to ascertain the soil fertility levels in terms of their nutrient contents. Data were obtained using Classical methods of analysis. The average soil pH were in the range of (5.84 ± 0.30 - 6.32 ± 0.040), the soil organic matter content were in the range of (0.67% ± 0.01% - 3.21% ± 0.07%), moisture content (0.12% ± 0.55% - 1.15% ± 0.04%), very good soil porosity (34% ± 0.07% - 42% ± 0.07%), electrical conductivity (31 ± 0.35 mS/m - 54 ± 0.35 mS/m), CEC (2.022 ± 0.04 meq/100g - 2.286 ± 0.002 meg/100g), Base Saturation (0.246% ± 0.03% - 0.286% ± 0.004%), total Nitrogen content (3.18 ± 0.01 mg/L - 7.20 ± 0.14 mg/L), available Phosphorous (2.57 ± 0.05 mg/L - 5.01 ± 0.04 mg/L), with high content of exchangeable Calcium (19.80 ± 0.85 mg/L - 22.04 ± 0.73 mg/L), exchangeable Potassium (28.85 ± 1.45 mg/L - 29.28 ± 0.91 mg/L), as well as exchangeable Magnesium (8.62 ± 0.44 mg/L - 12 ± 0.13 mg/L). Physical parameters fall within the range of a fertile soil; the essential nutrients contents were very high which portrays the soil to be fertile and could support promising vegetable crop yield.