Abstract
Land degradation has become a great concern for sustainable land management. There is therefore the need to monitor land use impact on the soil to prevent degradation. This study was set up to assess soil quality under tree and arable uses and their impacts on the soils capacity. Four farmlands (cocoa, cashew, cassava and maize) on three soil types (Apomu, Ibadan and Iwo series) were selected within Aiyedire local government area of Osun State. In each location, ten points were located and soil samples collected at 0 - 30 cm depth. The samples were subjected to laboratory analysis of selected indicators. The indicators’ values were combined into indices using soil management assessment framework for physical, chemical and overall soil quality. The indices were subjected to analysis of variance and the means separated least significant differences. Physical, chemical and overall soil quality indices ranged from 58 to 90% with the highest value under cocoa plantation on Apomu Series. Both land use and soil type have significant effect on physical, chemical and overall soil quality. Arable crops especially maize degrades soil quality quickly. Also, soils located at the lower slope are enriched with nutrients and should be well managed for sustainable use. Key words: Soil quality, land use, degradation, sustainable.
Highlights
IntroductionBesides being the main medium for crop growth, soil functions to sustain crop productivity, among other functions and soil quality describes the soil’s ability to perform these critical functions (Doran and Zeiss, 2000)
Soil is a fundamental resource base for agricultural production systems
Soils located at the lower slope are enriched with nutrients and should be well managed for sustainable use
Summary
Besides being the main medium for crop growth, soil functions to sustain crop productivity, among other functions and soil quality describes the soil’s ability to perform these critical functions (Doran and Zeiss, 2000) It has biological, physical and chemical properties, which are both inherent and dynamic and can change as a result of some natural processes and in response to use. For long in Nigeria, land use was based on trial-anderror approach This has led to waste of money and Farmers have been concerned on how to keep their soil in good condition because they understand that soil quality has a direct impact on crop performance. The rate of soil quality degradation depends on land use systems, soil types, topography, and climatic conditions. Soil degradation due to inappropriate land use system is threatening the livelihood of millions of people in many African countries
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