The aquaculture potentials of inland valley soils of Owerri agricultural zone, Imo state

Abstract

With eight soil profile pits and additional Auger samples at 0-20cm and 20-40 depths, the aquacultural potentials of soils of the Inland valleys of Owerri Agricultural Zone of Imo State were evaluated. Standard Laboratory methods (Bouyoucos, 1951; Walkley and Black, 1934; Black, 1956; Bray and Kurtz, 1945; Mclean, 1965; Atomic Absorption spectrometry etc) were used to analyse the soil samples. The soils were classified as Fluvaquentic Eutrudepts, Fluvaquentic Dystrudepts, Oxyaquic Paleudult, Arenic Eutrudepts, Oxyaquic Udorthents, Typic Plinthudults, Oxyaquic Paleudult (Soil Taxonomy) or Arenic Gleysol, Plinthic Ferralsols, Haplic Gleysol (FAO/Unesco). Availability of natural source of water, generally gentle slopes (0.5-1 %), moderately heavy subsoil textures with bulk densities reaching 1.69g/cm³, make the soils potentially good for aquaculture. But problems of low 0.M. and total-N. contents, high soil acidity as well as iron toxicity, which values have varied highly over the location would elicit management practices such as organic manuring, fertilizing with nitrogenous compounds and liming at rates which vary as the sites.

Key Words: Aquaculture Potentials, Inland Valley Soils, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria .