Article Sidebar
Published:
Aug 10, 2023Keywords:
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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 Classification of Soils of Rigachikun- Kaduna, Northern Guinea Savanna, Nigeria
Abstract
This research was carried out at Rigachikun, a Northern Guinea Savanna region of Nigeria and aimed at characterizing and classifying the soils of the region to generate soil information resources that will provide guide in the utilization of the soils of the region. With the aid of a location map, soils were delineated into three locations A, B and C and three profile pits were dug in each location giving a total of nine (9) profile pits. The morphological properties of the studied soils show that the grade of structure ranged from weak at the surface to strong down the horizon in all studied locations A, B and C. Soil colours at location A ranged from 2.5 YR 6/3 (light reddish brown) to 2.5 YR 5/6 (red) in pedon 1, 2.5YR 4/4 (reddish brown) to 2.5YR4/8 (red) in pedon 2 and 2.5YR 4/2 (weak red) to 2.5YR 4/6 (red). Location B colour matrixes ranged thus, pedon 1; from 2.5YR ¾ (dark reddish brown) to 2.5YR 3/6 (dark red), pedon 2; 2.5YR 5/2 (weak red) - 2.5YR 3/6 (dark red) while Pedon 3; 2.5YR 3/2 (dusky red) to 2.5YR 3/6 (dark red). Textural properties show that in location A, clay increased in all pedons and silt decreased while sand showed no clear pattern although it ultimately decreased down the profile. In location B; clay also increased down the profile in all pedons investigated, silt decreased in pedons 1 and 3 while it has no clear distribution in pedon 2. Sand however decreased in all pedons of location B. In Location C; clay and silt increased while sand decreased in pedons 1 and 2. In pedon 3, clay increased, sand decreased while silt has no particular pattern of distribution. The coefficient of variation showed that clay and silt ranged mostly from moderate (CV>15≤ 35) to high variation (CV > 35) except in location A pedon 3, location B pedons 1 and 2; Location C pedons 1, 2 and 3 where silt had low variability (CV≤ 15). Location A pedons 1 and 2 were classified as Typic Durustepts while pedon 3 is Aridic Lithic Haplustepts. Location B pedons 1, 2 and 3 were classified as Arenic Aridic Kandiustults while location C pedons 1,2 and 3 were classified as Aridic Kandiustults.
