Abstract
Capabilities and fertility constraints to crop production of the Lower Niger River floodplain soils were assessed using Land Capability Classification (LCC), Land capability Index (LCI), and the Fertility Capability Classification (FCC) systems. The LCC grouped the nine soil mapping units (SMUs) into class II, suited for a wide range of arable crops while LCI grouped ELM1 into class I, ODN1 and TFN1, in class II and ELM2, ELM3, ODN2, ODN3, TFN2, and TFN3, in class III, good to excellent for annual crops. For perennial crops, LCI grouped ELM1, ODN1, and TFN1 into class II, ELM3, ODN2, TFN2, and TFN3, in class III, and ELM2 and ODN3, in class IV, considered good to excellent for perennial crops. The FCC classified ELM1 and ELM2 as Lha-e, ELM3 into Sha-ek; ODN1 into Lha-; ODN2 and ODN3 into Lgha-ek; TFN1 into Lha-ek; TFN2 into SLa-ek; and TFN3 into Sha-e. Wetness, flooding, low nutrient retentive capacity, low ex- changeable Ca2+, and Mg2+ concentration, soil acidity and Al3+ toxicity, texture, drainage, K deficiency, and the likelihood of Fe3+ toxicity were identified as lim- iting fertility characteristics. Whereas limitations identified by the different sys- tems were similar, only LCC identified flooding limitation, LCI, and FCC identi- fied texture and FCC alone identified K+ deficiency limitation. Flood control, improved drainage, liming, and adequate fertilization practices including organic matter conservation, were recommended for improved land management.
Keywords:
odn1
and tfn1 into class ii
elm3
odn2
tfn2
and tfn3
in class iii
and
Full Text
The full text of this article is available as a PDF
You can download the PDF version of this article for easier reading and printing.
Download Full Text PDF