Comparative Study of Some Physico-Chemical Properties and Carbon Storage of Soils under Five Different Multipurpose Trees and Shrubs in the Semi Deciduous Zone of Ghana (Published)
Leaf biomass from Multipurpose Trees and shrubs (MPTs) like Senna siamea, Senna spectabilis, Leucaena leucocephala, Gliricidia sepium and Albizia lebbeck, are known to provide enormous amount of nutrient for crops when used in rotations and/ or fallow to address the decline in soil fertility and yields and store Carbon and biomass and the soil. A study was conducted on soil of Kumasi-Ofin–Nta compound association of the Agroforestry plot belonging to the Natural Resources Faculty of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) at Gyinase in the Ashanti Region of Ghana to investigate the effect of five selected fallow species on some selected physical and chemical properties of the soils thirteen years after fallow. The field was a Randomized Complete Block Design made up of five MPTs species in three blocks with replications. The sampling depths were 0 – 10 cm, 10 – 20 cm and 20 – 30 cm. Soil samples were taken through physical and chemical laboratory analysis. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). The five MPTs species showed no significant influence on chemical properties of the soil (pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, Calcium, Magnesium and Carbon). However, there was significant influence of the MPTs on some soil physical properties (bulk density and porosity).
Keywords: Chemical Properties, Multipurpose Tree, Physical Properties, Shrubs, Soil Degradation
Investigation of Level of Arable Crop Farmers Awareness of Soil Degradation in Imo State (Published)
Soil degradation has remained one of the most devastating environmental problems in Imo State. This study investigates the level of farmers’ awareness of soil degradation in Imo State. Data were collected using a structured and validated questionnaire from 342 randomly selected arable crop farmers. Data analyses were carried out using both descriptive and inferential statistical tools such as mean scores and rank order, frequency counts and percentages. Results shows that the majority of the arable crop farmers (70.50%) were females, married (81.29%), had up to secondary education (49.42%) and of average age of 56.80years. over three quarters of the people (80.70%) were members of different social organizations, with farming as their major occupation (62.00%). The result also indicated that almost all the farmers (95.9%) were aware of soil degradation more than half (56.4%) of the respondents have noticed it for a long time and they generally accepted that loss or change in vegetative cover and soil nutrient 2.70% is being observed to a great extent. 35.7% of the respondents classified the area covered by soil degradation in their farms as moderately serious. The study recommends among others that technologies which can help the arable crop farmers ameliorate the effect of soil degradation should be made available to them by the state government since the level of awareness is very high.
Keywords: Arable Crop Farmers, Imo State Nigeria, Soil Degradation, awareness