ISSN 2375-088X
African Journal of Soil Science ISSN 2375-088X Vol. 12 (5), pp. 001-006, May, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Soil Property Degradation Trends in Ultisols of Nigeria's Semi-Humid Regions
Ezeaku P. I.1, Eze F. U.1 and Oku E.2
1Department of Soil Science; University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
2United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa; University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Received 26 December, 2024; Accepted 11 March, 2025
Abstract
Better understanding of how soils respond to land use is needed to enable science-based land management interventions. The present study investigated the relative changes in properties of ultisol under conventional tillage for arable crops and compared with fallowed plot (greater than 10 years of continuous no-till fallow) in the semi-humid Nsukka of southeastern Nigeria. Soil samples were collected from designated profile horizons for determination of soil properties. In cultivated plot relative to fallowed plot, soil erodibility increased by 2.5% (Ei + 0.11), total porosity decreased by 1.1%, whereas macro- and microporosity increased by 3.4 and 7.1%, respectively. Soil saturated hydraulic conductivity increased by 4.9%. The degree of topsoil saturation with water was similar in both the cultivated and the fallowed plots. Soil pH increased (7%) when exchangeable acidity increased (21.3%, +0.46 cmol (+) kg-1). Losses of organic carbon (28%, -2.58 gkg-1), total N (26%, -0.17 gkg-1), available P (47%, -2.63 mgkg-1), Ca (55%, - 1.75 cmol (+) kg-1), CEC (17%, -1.11 cmol (+) kg-1), and base saturation (11.3 %) due to cultivation were observed. Since the fallowed plot that was previously under cultivation was able to show more favourable values of the measured soil properties than the cultivated plot without human activity, the study deduces that an ultisol can be resilient.
Key words: Ultisol, land use system, soil property, semi-humid, Nigeria.