Assessment of Soil and Crop Qualities under Different Management Systems around Lokoja Metropolis, Central Nigeria

Abstract

Soil quality is an essential factor in Agricultural sustainability and its combination with water and human factors substantially determine the quality of the output (crop) within a particular ecosystem. The goal was attained through: identification of the extant management systems; determination of some key properties in the soil, water and vegetable in the area; comparison of the heavy metals content of plants and soil to confirm whether the concentration of metals in soil is in available form for plant uptake. A total of twenty farm plots were sampled randomly at both upland and lowland areas. Soil, plant and water samples were collected and tested for both micro and macro elements. The results of the analysis revealed that the soils possess moderately acidic pH (6.0) with permissive rate of EC (0.45 mm hos/cm), low N (0,08%), very high P content (27.1 mg/kg), very high values of OC (1.65%), cation exchange indicates low levels of Na (0.2 cmol/kg), medium Ca (6.0 cmol/kg), very high K (3.7 cmol/kg), high Mg (4.3 cmol/kg), medium ECEC (16.0 cmol/kg) using FAO 2006. The results of the water analysis show that Cd, Fe, Pb and Mn are within the recommended threshold while Cu, Ni, Zn are above the threshold. No significant difference in the following soil chemical properties: pH, EC, %OC, %TN, Na, K, Mg, Ca, TEB, Exchange acidity, ECEC, Cu and Ni. Conversely, Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb and Cd show significantly higher value between the lowland and upland areas. Upland areas show significantly higher values in few heavy metals. It was concluded that regular monitoring of the macro and micro elements is critical to sustainable productivity.