Department of Crop Production

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Browsing Department of Crop Production by Author "ADEROLU, I. A"

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    CHARACTERIZATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS OF KWARA STATE UNIVERSITY TEACHING AND RESEARCH FARM, MALETE, NIGERIA
    (Journal of Science, Technology, Mathematics and Education (JOSTMED), 2017-06) ALABI, K. O; WAHAB, A. A; LAWAL, O. O; ADEROLU, I. A; SENJOBI, B. A
    Proper soil use is inched on understanding its physical and chemical properties. To this end, the soils of Kwara State University Teaching and Research farm, Malete, situated in the Southern Guinea Savannah zone of Nigeria were characterized and classified according to the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA, 2014) Soil Taxonomy and Food and Agriculture Organization- World Reference Base (FAO – WRB, 2006). Soil survey was done to establish mapping units. Three profiles (0 -147 cm, 0-156 cm and 0-156 cm) were dug in each established mapping units along the toposequence of the area (upper, middle and lower slopes). Soil samples (0-19, 19-35, 35-86, 86-147 cm), (0-21, 21-41,41-61,61-156 cm), (0-40, 40-61, 61-91, 91-156 cm) were collected from the pedogenic horizons for soil characterization. The soils were deep (0-147 cm, 0-156 cm, depth) and well drained. The soil physical parameters like the textural classes identified ranged from sandy loam to sandy clay loam. The soils were moderately acidic to slightly acidic (pH 5.47 - 6.31). The macro nutrients (N, P), organic carbon (OC) and CEC of the soils were generally low with high base saturation (>50%). All the pedons had varying quantities of mottles and iron- manganese concretions. All pedons were classified as Alfisol, having ustic moisture regime and plinthite occupied more than half volume of soils within 150 cm depth. Therefore, they were classified as Typic Plinthustalfs (USDA) and as Plinthosol (FAO). At the soil series level, they were classified as Gambari series (Local classification by Smyth and Montgomery, 1962).