Abstract
This study examined variability of soil properties under continuous cultivation in the Nigerian Savanna. Bulked soil samples were collected from eight irrigated farm plots and one uncultivated field during both wet season (WS) and dry season (DS) respectively. The samples were analyzed for Sand, silt, clay, bulk density, porosity, moisture content, pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable cations (Ca, Mg, K, and Na), exchangeable acidity (H+Al), exchangeable cation exchange capacity (ECEC) and base saturation which are the key soil fertility parameters. Percentage equivalence value of soil property was computed by expressing the mean value of each soil property in WS as a percentage of the mean value of the same property over the DS. From the results, the soil textural grades remained loamy in both seasons. The mean values obtained at topsoil during WS and DS are: sand (50.38 & 51.38%), silt (39.63 & 38.63%), clay (10% each), bulk density (1.38 & 1.42), porosity (47.75 & 64.04%), moisture content (0.26 & 0.19cm3 ), pH (5.7 & 6.03), organic matter (1.62 & 0.62%), total N (0.12 & 0.08%), available phosphorus (58.36 & 48.25mgkg-1), cations [Ca (7.76 & 6.17cmol/ kg-1), Mg (1.48 & 1.15cmol/kg-1), K (0.36 & 0.21cmol/kg-1), and Na (0.61 & 0.25cmol/kg-1)], H+Al (0.59 & 0.50cmol/kg-1), ECEC (10.63 & 8.26cmol/kg-1) and base saturation (93 & 92%). These results suggest that land use has both direct and indirect effects on the variability of soil properties.
Highlights
The most ancient and widespread farming system in the Nigerian dry region is probably the floodplain cultivation
The uncultivated field on the other hand showed an increase of 9.5% and a decrease of 4.7% soils respectively. These results presented in this study are in concord with the results of Chen and Xu (2010) and Onwudike et al, (2015) who indicated that land use, farming management practices, micro and macro climate in land use types significantly affect the content of soil properties
With the exception of sand, clay, bulk density and pH where the percentage equivalent values were lower in wet season relative to dry season, the percentage equivalent values of all other soil properties examined were higher in wet season relative to dry season
Summary
The most ancient and widespread farming system in the Nigerian dry region is probably the floodplain (fadama) cultivation. FAO estimated in 1986 that about 800,000ha of land were under small-scale water control project in Nigeria. The practice relies on the traditional irrigation techniques commonly referred to as shadoof to supplement residual moisture on the hydromorphic soils of the fadama. In many areas, this shadoof is gradually being replaced by use of small diesel or petrol engine pumps to lift water, either from a nearby river, or from a shallow well or borehole sources on the fadama
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