Physicochemical Characteristics, Degradation Rate and Vulnerability Potential of Obudu Cattle Ranch Soils in Southeast Nigeria
- 1 Department of Soil Science, University of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.
- 2 Department of Soil Science, University of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.
Abstract
Obudu Cattle Ranc h covers an area of 240 0 hactares at an altitude of 900 - 1500 m above mean sea level and is suitable for cultivation of cucumber ( Cucumis sativus ), tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ), Irish potato ( Solanum tuberosum ), spinach ( Spinacia oleracea ) cabbage ( Brassica oleracea ), lettuce ( Lactuca sativa ) because of its semitemperate climate. Physicochemical characteristics, degradation rates and vulnerability potential of the soils were studied. Eighteen composite soil samples (0 - 15 and 15 - 30 cm) were collected at interval of 500 m along North-South and East-West transects in nine locations. The soils were characterized as follows: texture of sandy loam for the surface and subsurface soils; pH (H2O) (4.7 - 5.7), organic carbon (4.9 - 74.8 gkg －1 ), total nitrogen (0.2 - 4.8 gkg －1 ), carbon-nitrogen ratio (14 - 25), available P (6.66 - 107.89 mgkg －1 ), effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) (5.58 - 14.62 cmol · kg －1 ) and base saturation (49.37% - 85.28%); the surface soils were generally higher in organic carbon, total nitrogen, available P and ECEC than the subsurface. The Soil Degradation Rate (SDR)/ Vulnerability Potential (Vp) weighted values of texture (3/3), soil pH (H2O) (4/2), organic carbon (1/5) and base saturation (2/4) showed moderate to low susceptibility of the soils to degradation or vulnerability. The soils could be managed by liming, practicing crop rotation and using soil conservative measures.
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