Differential Impact of Land Use Types on Soil Productivity Components in Two Agro-ecological Zones of Southern Ghana

Folasade Mary Owoade,Samuel Godfried Kwasi Adiku,Dilys Sefakor Maccarthy,Christopher John Atkinson

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-45106-6_144

Folasade Mary Owoade, Samuel Godfried Kwasi Adiku + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45106-6_144

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Abstract

AbstractThe maintenance of soil productivity is important for sustained crop yield in low-input systems in the tropics. This study investigated the impact of four different land use types, namely, maize and cassava cropping, woodlot/plantations, and natural forests on soil productivity components, especially soil carbon accretion, at six sites within two agro-ecological zones of southern Ghana. Soil properties were significantly different between sites and ecological zones. The coastal savanna zones, which is a low rainfall zone had relatively lower soil carbon storage than the high rainfall forest-savanna transition zone. Soil productivity conditions in the later zone were much more favorable for cropping than the former. Land use types significantly affected the soil carbon (SOC) storage within the two ecological zones. In the low rainfall zone, soil carbon accretion by maize cropping, cassava cropping, and plantations were 48%, 54%, and 60%, respectively, of the forest carbon stock (47,617 kg/ha). In the transition zone, the soil carbon accretion was over 90% of the forest value (48,216 kg/ha) for all land use types. In effect use of land use types in maintaining soil productivity must consider the conditions in a given ecological zone.

Highlights

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a major component of productivity in low-input cropping systems of the tropics
Crop yield reduction is often associated with SOC losses, largely because the SOC is a major reservoir of nutrients, especially in the tropics where external inputs continue to remain low (Sanchez et al 2009)
The higher SOC of the transition zone could be attributed to a greater carbon input by the high rainfall and more forest vegetation than the savanna ecological zone

Summary

Introduction

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a major component of productivity in low-input cropping systems of the tropics. Crop yield reduction is often associated with SOC losses, largely because the SOC is a major reservoir of nutrients, especially in the tropics where external inputs continue to remain low (Sanchez et al 2009). The SOC is a major source of nutrition and energy for microbial life. Though the SOC plays a dominant role in tropical agriculture, other soil properties may enhance the overall productivity. Nutrients elements such as nitrogen, which is largely derived from organic matter mineralization, phosphorus from rock minerals, and the overall cation retention capacity are important factors that determine soil and crop productivity

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