Abstract
Mountainous ecosystem soils are subject to colonization nowadays for agricultural purposes due to an increasing population in towns making the detailed characterization of such soils indispensable. This work aims to characterize the steep slopes soils of the Dschang hills and to evaluate their fertility level for agricultural valorization. Thus, four soil profiles were dug at various topographic positions (summit (SP), shoulder (MP), backslope (BP) and footslope (PP)) following a toposequence. Samples of disturbed and undisturbed soils were taken and analyzed in the laboratory according to standard methods. The Fertility Capability Classification (FCC) and simple limitation methods were used to identify major agricultural constraints. The main results show that profiles thickness is moderate, between 0 and 120 cm, with a high sand content (at least 50%) over the entire toposequence, especially at the surface. The study site has four types of soils, namely Eutric Cambisols (ochric) in SP and Leptic Eutric Cambisols (Humic) in MP, Eutric Cambisols (Humic) in BP and Stagnic Oxygleyic Dystric Gleysols (Humic) in pp. The soils are very acidic at PP, moderately acidic at BP and SP and slightly acidic at MP. Organic matter is higher at the surface than at depth at the topographic segments of MP, BP and PP and low to SP. The C/N ratio is high (>17) in all profiles except P4 ( exchangeable bases, total nitrogen and available phosphorus is low in all profiles. The Ca/ Mg/K balance in all the profiles shows a cation imbalance and a relatively high concentration of exchangeable potassium compared to the ideal situation (76% Ca, 18% Mg and 6% K). The major constraints to crop production are: aluminum toxicity (a) and nutrients leaching (e), textural discontinuity (LS), flooding (g), low nutrient reserve (k), sand (S), clay (C) and slope (t). Hence the fertility capacity classes of these soils are CCaegk (PP), SSek (BP), SSte (MP) and LSaek (SP). To improve the yield, it will require off-season crop cultivation, fertilization and liming, and earthworks.
Highlights
Population growth has generated an increase in food demand which can only be satisfied by an intensification of agriculture (FAO, 2006)
Four types of soils are represented in this area, namely Eutric Cambisols in the summit, Leptic Eutric Cambisols (Humic) at the shoulder slope, Eutric Cambisols (Humic) at the backslope and Stagnic Oxygleyic dystric gleysols (Humic) at the footslope
Chemical analysis revealed that the soils are very acidic to weakly acidic with organic matter higher at the surface than at depth
Summary
Population growth has generated an increase in food demand which can only be satisfied by an intensification of agriculture (FAO, 2006). The 2009 Growth and Employment Strategy Paper (DSCE) sets Cameroon’s objectives to increase, on the one hand, agricultural yields, and on the other hand, to increase agricultural areas in the order of 30% compared to the 2005 level (DSCE, 2009) To meet this demand, all agricultural land in Cameroon and those on steep slopes needs to be valorized. The colonization and development of soils in areas with steep slopes previously reserved for grazing and market gardening has become a necessity and often leads to farmer-grazer conflicts This is the case of the Dschang hills in the Menoua Division of Cameroon, which often present very rugged landscapes with steep slopes and an escarpment of more than 700 m in altitude (Fotsing, 1999). The results obtained will provide data to farmers on the management strategies to be adopted on such soils for optimum soil productivity
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