Organic Carbon Storage and Structural-Hydraulic Properties of Ultisol under Agricultural Land Use Systems at Umuahia

Abstract

The extent and pattern of interaction among organic carbon, structural and hydraulic properties of soils under varying land use systems are of great concern in the overall management of soil fertility and productivity. This study was conducted to examine the relationship among soil organic carbon storage, structural and hydraulic properties of soils under different agricultural land use systems at Umuahia, Abia State. The treatments were the four (4) land use systems (continuously cultivated arable farmland, 3 – year fallow land, oil palm plantation, and forest land) in which nine (9) replicates each of disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were randomly collected to give thirty six observational units laid out in a randomized complete block design. The soil samples were prepared and analysed in the laboratory. Analyses of variance, regression and correlation analyses were conducted on the data collected using Genstat version 14 and SPSS version 20. Results show that organic carbon had significant positive relationship with saturated hydraulic conductivity, macro porosity and total porosity but significant negative relationship with bulk density at all the land use systems. However, the influence of organic carbon on the other parameters was greatest at continuously cultivated arable land followed by the 3 – year fallow land. There is need to increase organic matter input at the continuously cultivated arable land and 3 – year fallow land through increased organic manuring and extension of the fallow period, respectively.