Article Sidebar
Published:
Aug 30, 2020Keywords:
Article Details
NAJ supports free online communication and exchange of knowledge as the most effective way of ensuring that the fruits of research and development practice are made widely available. It is therefore committed to open access, which, for authors, enables the widest possible dissemination of their findings and, for readers, increases their ability to discover pertinent information. The Journal adopts and uses the CC: BY license and is open access. This license lets others distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the Journal’s published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work. Copyright for articles published in this Journal is retained by the Journal.
Main Article Content
CHARACTERIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SOILS OF AMANGWU-EDDA, EBONYI STATE FOR SUSTAINABLE RICE PRODUCTION
Abstract
The study was conducted at Amangwu-Edda in Afikpo-South Local Government Area (LGA) of Ebonyi State,
Nigeria, to characterize the soils of the area and give management options for sustainable rice production. Two
hundred and fifty hectares of land was surveyed using the rigid grid method, based on the differences and
similarities of the morphological properties. Three (3) different mapping units were identified, and soil profile
pits dug and described morphologically, then samples were collected based on horizon differentiation from
bottom to top. The samples were prepared and subjected to routine laboratory analysis for selected physical and
chemical properties. Data generated were analysed using suitable statistical tools. The analytical results showed
that the percent clay had mean values of 26.47% for soil mapping unit 1, 31.80% for soil mapping unit 2, and
25.73% for soil mapping unit 3. The soil pH was strongly acidic (3.8 – 4.9) in all the soil mapping units studied.
The coefficient of variation showed that pH (H O) had low variation in all the soil mapping units, while organic 2
carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (N) had high variation in all the soil mapping units. A low to moderate variation
was recorded for percent sand, silt and clay for the three soil mapping units. Management options for yield
increase and sustainable rice production were suggested for rice growers in the study area.
