November 2020 Vol. 8 No.11

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Asadu CLA
Agu HC

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Original Research Article

Nutrient build-up in an alfisol continuously grown to common crop mixtures for eight years before fallowing for thirteen years and current suitability for cassava, oil palm and plantain production in Southeastern, Nigeria

Asadu C.L.A^1*, A.G.O. Dixon² and H.C. Agu¹

¹Department of Soil Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
²International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan Nigeria

*Corresponding Author E-mail: charles.asadu@unn.edu.ng
 
Received: 03 November 2020  I  Accepted: 21 November 2020  I  Published: 25 November 2020  I  Article ID: MRJASSS-20-044
Copyright © 2020 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.
This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0.

Abstract

Evaluation of nutrient build-up in fallow land without the cropping history may not be very reliable because residual effects of previous activities on the land play vital roles in nutrient regeneration. This is particularly applicable to southeastern Nigeria where most of the farmers grow their crops in mixtures with various soil nutrient management techniques. A part of a virgin forest land was cleared in 1998 and continuously grown to sole crops of cassava (C), maize (M), pigeon pea (P) and C+P, M+P and C+M+P mixtures replicated thrice with three control (T) plots for seven years before fallowing for thirteen years. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The current values of soil physico-chemical properties were compared and also with those obtained from an adjacent remaining forestland (F) and evaluated for cassava, oil palm and plantain production. The textural class (sandy clay loam) did not change over the years. The mean bulk density from T plots was significantly (p<.0.05) higher than that from P plots while microporosity and total porosity from C plots were significantly (p<.0.05) higher than those from F plots. The mean soil chemical values showed that the values across the plots previously grown to the crops (previous Land Utilization Types, pLUTs) were generally statistically similar in 2017. Fallowing a piece of agricultural land after years of continuous cultivation for long periods is highly recommended as this helps to regain its lost nutrients. The current aggregate suitability class for all the plots and the forest land irrespective of the variations in soil properties was “Highly Suitable” (S1) for all the three crops; cassava, oil palm and plantain production.

Keywords: Alfisols, Fallow, Cassava, Oil palm and plantain production, Soil nutrient