Olateju Dolapo ADEYOLANU, Kayode Stephen ARE, Ayodele Olumide ADELANA, Gabriel Akinboye OLUWATOSİN, Oluwabunmi Aderonke DENTON, Olufunmilayo Titilayo ANDE, Olugbenga EGBETOKUN, Lucia OGUNSUMİ, James Alabi ADEDİRAN

Assessing soil quality issues for crop production function based on farmers’ perception: An experience from Itapaji Watershed in Southwestern Nigeria

To successfully manage soil quality for sustainable crop production, there is need to identify issues affecting it. These are problems facing the capacity of soil to perform its functions and thus reducing its productivity. In addition, the similarities and differences between farmers’ perception of soil quality issues and that of soil scientist are very pertinent. This study, which was carried out at Itapaji watershed in Ikole local government area of Ekiti state, aims at identifying soil quality issues using participatory approach and conventional method. Diagnostic survey was carried out using participatory approach involving farmers’ judgement using questionaires. . The resultswere analysed to identify the soil quality issues from farmers’ perspectives. For conventional method, major soil types were identified and soil quality issues were identified using soil management assessment framework. The relationship between the soil issues from farmers’ interview and soil analysis were established by correlation analysis at α0.05. Soil quality issues identified by farmers are soil compaction, low soil fertility, termite infestation, crop wilt, hardpan formation, erosion, poor drainage and land use intensification. Low soil fertility is the most prominent with about 36.2 % impact on crop production in the watershed. Conventionally from soil analysis, CEC and organic matter are low which indicate low soil fertility; there is high acidity, shallow soil depth with presence of plinthite and hard pan. The farmers’ perception of soil quality and that of soil scientists correlate well (r = 0.70). There is therefore need for promotion of farmers’ participation by providing a forum for articulation of their opinions in mitigating low soil quality.

Keywords:

Soil quality issues, participatory, conventional, watershed,

PDF

___

Adesodun, J.K., Adeyemi, E.F., Oyegoke, C.O., 2007. Distribution of nutrient elements within water-stable aggregates of two tropical agro-ecological soils under different land uses. Soil and Tillage Research 92(1-2): 190-197.
Adeyolanu, O.D., Ogunkunle, A.O., 2016. Comparison of qualitative and quantitative approaches to soil quality assessment for agricultural purposes in Southwestern Nigeria. Cogent Food and Agriculture 2: 1149914
Adeyolanu, O.D., Ogunkunle, A.O., 2017. Soil quality assessment for sustainable land use and management. International Journal of Plant & Soil Science 13(6): 1 – 11.
Aikore, O.D., 2002. A comparison of qualitative and quantitative approaches to soil quality assessment. M.Sc. Dissertation. Agronomy Department, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. 50 – 52.
Andrews, S.S., Karlen, D.L., Cambardella, C.A., 2004. The soil management assessment framework: A quantitative soil quality evaluation method. Soil Science Society of America Journal 68(6): 1945-1962.
Are, K.S., Babalola, O., Oke, A.O., Oluwatosin, G.A., Adelana, A.O., Ojo, O.A., Adeyolanu, O.D., 2011. Conservation strategies for effective management of eroded landform: Soil structural quality, enrichment ratio and runoff water quality. Soil Science 176(5): 252-263.
Ayoade, J.O., 2002. Introduction to climatology for the tropics. John Willey and Son. Chicherter, UK. 210p.
Bonanomi, G., D’Ascoli, R., Antignani, V., Capodilupo, M., Cozzolino, L., Marzaioli, R., Puopolo, G., Rutigliano, F.A., Scelza, R., Scotti, R., Rao, M.A., Zoina, A., 2011. Assessing soil quality under intensive cultivation and tree orchards in Southern Italy. Applied Soil Ecology 47(3): 184-194.
Brown, L.E., 2005. Outgrowing the Earth: The Food Security Challenge in an Age of Falling Water Tables and Rising Temperatures. Earthscan, Earth policy Institute, London, UK. 239p.
Chen, Z.S., Hseu, Z.Y., 1997. Total organic carbon pool in soils of Taiwan. Proceedings of National Science Council ROC Part B: Life Sciences 21: 120 – 127.
Chen, Z.S., Hseu, Z.Y., Tsai, C.C., 1998. Total organic carbon pools in Taiwan rural soils and its application in sustainable soil management system. Soil and Environment 1: 295 – 306. [in Chinese]
Doran, J.W., Parkin, T.B., 1994. Defining and assessing soil quality. In: Defining and assessing soil quality for a sustainable environment. Doran, J.W., Coleman, D.C., Bezdicek, D.F., Stewart, B.A. (Eds.). SSSA Special Publication No 35, Soil Science Society of America and American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin, USA pp.1 – 21.
FAO, 2014. World Reference Base for Soil Resources 2014. International soil classification system for naming soils and creating legends for soil maps. World Soil Resources Reports No. 106. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome, Italy. 192p. Available at [Access date: 31.10.2017]: http://www.fao.org/3/a-i3794e.pdf
Feller, C., Balesdent, J., Nicolardot, B., Cerri, C., 2001. Approaching functional soil organic matter pools through particle-size fractionation. Examples for tropical soils. In: Assessment methods for soil carbon. Lal, R., Kimble, K.M., Follet, R.F. (Eds). Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, USA. pp. 53-67.
Giller, K.E., Cadisch, G., 1997. Driven by nature: a sense of arrival or departure. In: Driven by nature: Plant litter quality and decomposition. Cadisch, G., Giller, K.E., (Eds.). CAB International, Wallingford, UK. pp.393 – 399.
Gugino, B.K., Idowu, O.J., Schindelbeck, R.R., Van Es, H.M., Wolf, D.W., Thies, J.E., Abawi, G.S., 2007. Cornel soil health assessment training manual. Edition 1.2. Cornel University, Geneva, New York, USA. 51 p.
Havlin, J.L., Beaton, J.D., Tisdale, S.L., Nelson, W.L., 2005. Soil fertility and nutrient management: An introduction to nutrient management. 7th edition. Pearson/Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA. 515p.
Ibewiro, B., Sanginga, N., Vanlauwe, B., Merckx, R., 2000. Nitrogen contribution from decomposing cover crop residues to maize in a tropical derived savanna. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 57(2): 131-140.
Merrington, G., Fishwick, S., Barraclough, D., Morris, J., Preedy, N., Boucard, T., Reeve, M., Smith, P., Fang, C., 2006. The development and use of soil quality indicators for assessing the role of soil in environmental interactions. Environment Agency. Science Report SC030265, Rio House, Waterside Drive, Aztec West, Almondsbury, Bristol. 241p.
Mudorch, G. Ojo-Atere, J.O., Colborne, G., Olomu, E.I., Odugbesan, E.M., 1976. Soils of the Western State Savanna in Nigeria, Volume 4. Land Resources Division, Ministry of Overseas Development, Tolworth Tower, England. CTBI Publications, 145 pp.
Negassa, W., 2001. Assessment of important physicochemical properties of Dystric Udalf (Dystric Nitosols) under different management systems in Bako area, Western Ethiopia. Alemaya University, School of Graduate Studies, (McS Thesis), Ethiopia. 93p.
Neves, C.S.V.J., Feller, C., Guimarães, M.F., Medina, C.C., Filho, J.T., Fortier, M., 2003. Soil bulk density and porosity of homogeneous morphological units identified by the Cropping Profile Method in clayey Oxisols in Brazil. Soil and Tillage Research 71(2): 109-119.
Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), 2007. 2007 Seasonal Rainfall Predictions (SRP)/Nigerian Meteorological Agency. Available at [Access date: 31.10.2017]: http://www.nimet.gov.ng/seasonal-rainfall-predictions
Paudel, B.R., Udawatta, R.P., Anderson, S.H., 2011. Agroforestry and grass buffer effects on soil quality parameters for grazed pasture and row-crop systems. Applied Soil Ecology 48(2): 125-132.
Rosegrant, M.W., Paisner, M.S., Meijer, S., Witcover, J., 2001. 2020 global food outlook: trends, alternatives and choices. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington,D.C., USA. 18p. Available at [Access date: 31.10.2017]: https://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/david.harvey/AEF811/Development/IFPRI2020Food.pdf
Soil Survey Staff, 2014. Keys to soil taxonomy. 12th Edition. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Washington DC, USA. 372 pp.
Solomon, D.F., Fritzsche, F., Tekalign, M., Lehmann, J., Zech, W., 2002. Soil organic matter composition in the subhumid Ethiopian highlands as ınfluenced by deforestation and agricultural management. Soil Science Society of America Journal 66(1): 68-82.
Sparling, G., Liburne, L., Vojvodic-Vukovic, M., 2003. Provisional target for soil quality indicators in New Zealand. Landcare Research, Palmerston North, New Zealand. 224 p
USDA, 2006. Food Security Assessment 2005. United State Department of Agriculture (USDA), Economic Resrarch Service, GFA-17, USA.

Yayın Aralığı: Yılda 4 Sayı
Başlangıç: 2012
Yayıncı: Avrasya Toprak Bilimleri Dernekleri Federasyonu

Arşiv

Sayıdaki Diğer Makaleler

İmane ACHKOUK, Saida AARAB, Amin LAGLAOUİ, Mohammed BAKKALİ, Abdelhay ARAKRAK

Mushtaha ALİ, Abdalla ELHAGWA, Jamal ELFAKİ

Simon Djakba BASGA, Jean Pierre TEMGA, Désiré TSOZUÉ, Nicodème DANBÉ, Jean Pierre NGUETNKAM

Henry Oppong TUFFOUR, Mensah BONSU, Awudu ABUBAKAR, Janvier Bigabwa BASHAGALUKE, Murphy Acheampong OPOKU, Jimmy Clifford OPPONG

Munir AHMAD, Dost MUHAMMAD, Maria MUSSARAT, Muhammad NASEER, Muhammad A. KHAN, Abid A. KHAN, Muhammad İzhar SHAFİ

Alexey BELENKOV, Mikhail MAZİROV, Valeria AREFİEVA

Teshome YİTBAREK, Abdeta JEMBERE, Habtamu KEREBEH

Mojtaba YAHYAABADİ, Amir Hossein HAMİDİAN, Sohrab ASHRAFİ

Md. Abdul MOJİD, A.b.m. Zahid HOSSAİN, Guido C. L. WYSEURE