Original Research Article
Characterization and Classification of Soils Developed from Coastal Plain Sands and Alluvium in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Southern Nigeria
*Peter, K. D. |
Umweni, A. S. |
Article Number: DRJAFS58013279
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26765/ DRJAFS58013279
ISSN: 2354-4147
Vol.8 (7), pp. 246-256, July 2020
Copyright © 2020
Author(s) retain the copyright of this article
Abstract
This study was carried out to characterized and classified soils developed from coastal plain sands and alluvium in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Southern Nigeria. It covers 49,631.54 hectares. The main objectives of this study were to delineates, identify, and classify the different types of soils in the study area and expressed in a soil map. The methodology used involved soil survey rigid grid method at semi-detailed level (1000 x 500)m (50 ha) which produced eight mapping units and each mapping units were represented by a pedon that was described horizon by horizon from bottom to the top of the profiles and soil samples were collected for laboratory analysis. The results showed that the soils were largely Inceptisols/Cambisol covering 31,832 hectares (64.13%), Entisol/Arenosol (9,100 hectares), Ultisols/Acrisol (5,350 hectares) and Alfisol/Lixisol (3,350 hectares) of total land area. Therefore, the soils of Khana Local Government Area which are largely Inceptisols/Cambisols, Entisols/Arenosols, Ultisols/Acrisols, and Alfisol/Lixisol were greatly influenced by the parent materials, climate (rainfall) and to some extent vegetation of the area and the underlying geologic material, the sedimentary rocks weathered into coastal plain sands buried under alluvium at varying degrees at different places in the study area. Thus, these various soil types favoured the cultivation of oil palm, yam, cassava, citrus, and to some extent plantain in the study area.
Keywords: Characterization, classification, soils of Khana, Rivers State, Southern NigeriaReceived: June 15, 2020 Accepted: July 23, 2020 Published: July 30, 2020