Evaluation and Classification of Soil Fertility Potentials of Gombi Area of Adamawa State, Northeastern Nigeria

A study was conducted to evaluate the soil fertility potential of Gombi area of Adamawa State, Nigeria. A total of eighty (80) soil samples composite from 0-20 and 20-50cm depths were collected from selected representative locations from the ten (10) wards of the study area and analyzed using standard laboratory procedures. Results obtained revealed that the texture of the soil ranged from sandy loam to sandy clay across the study area. Soil pH was slightly acidic ranged from 6.49 to 6.92. Similarly, there no significant differences in total nitrogen and organic carbon contents among both locations and sampling depths. However, total nitrogen and organic carbon contents were generally low and ranged from 6.7 to 10.3 g kg-1 for organic carbon and 0.88 to 1.0 g kg-1 for total nitrogen across the locations. Similarly, available phosphorus contents were generally low and were linked to P fixation by Fe and Aluminium under the acidic pH range. Three soil FCC classes were identified; SLdek, Ldek, and LSdek with SLdek dominating in six out of ten areas. Sandy nature of the soils, low nutrient reserve, and cation exchange reactions are the dominant constraints in the soils of the area. Integrated soil fertility management which recognizes the use of local inputs such as organic materials available within the environment and appropriate synthetic fertilizer practices could be employed to improve the soil constraints to maintain and sustain the productivity of the soils.