Soil Resources Degradation and Conservation Techniques Adopted Among the Small Holder Farmers in Gusau, North-Western Nigeria (original) (raw)
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Soil erosion is one of the challenges of Nigerian agriculture. The present study therefore aimed at surveying prevailing types of soil erosion in Central Senatorial District (Tsafe, Gusau, Bungudu and Maru Local Governments) of Zamfara State-Nigeria, their causes, effects and some measures adopted by farmers in soil and water conservation. Three district each from Gusau and Maru local governments were randomly selected and stratified random sampling technique was employed in selecting seven (7) villages from the districts of Gusau and nine (9) from that of Maru. Structured questionnaires were administered to 200 farmers and the data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Result showed majority of the farmers sampled were having ages of ≥ 60 years with Qur'anic education and farm size of 1 to 5 ha mostly acquired by inheritance. Mixed cropping is widely practiced with rill erosion as the prevalent type having moderate severity on their farms detected through decline in productivity, occurrence of rills and gullies. Continuous and clean cultivation, topography, soil and rainfall characteristics were among the causes of erosion in the study area with damages to include loss of productive soil, silting, drifting and land fragmentation. The conservation practices including manure application, cover cropping, drainages, contour farming and minimum or zero tillage are being adopted by the farmers for sustainable crop production.
Erosion Effect on Soil Physical Properties in Selected Farmlands in Gidan Kwano, Niger State
Journal of Horticulture and Plant Research, 2018
The study was conducted to investigate if erosion is a major problem and to identify the effect of erosion on some physical properties on selected farmlands on four farms in Gidan kwano. It was done by observation, interview, and questionnaire and soil sample analysis. The infiltration rate, bulk density, porosity, organic matter content, particle size and aggregate stability were determined for all the sample location. The erosion fields results were compared with the results of the non-eroded fields. The results showed that farming was done with simple method and mechanized equipment when available and erosion was considered a major problem in all the farms. The results revealed that bulk density values ranged between 1.475gcm-3and 1.606gcm-3, cumulative infiltration rate fluctuated between 29.75cm/hr and 37.48cm/hr, porosity ranged between 36.49% and 44.34%, organic matter content fluctuated between 0.29% and 0.73% and aggregate stability ranged between 58.00% and 67.60% for the ...
Characterization of Soil Erosion under different Agricultural Land Use Types in a Semi-Arid Region
This paper presents soil erosion responses to four different land use types in Maiduguri and environs. Representative of four soils from Dalori, Chad-basin, Jimtilo, and Domboa-road areas of Maiduguri were selected for the study. The four land uses studied were cultivations of orchard, cereal, and leguminous crops alongside bare soil which served as a control. They are representatives of land use practices found throughout Maiduguri and its surrounds. The samples were subjected to rainfall from stationary rainfall simulator. Results showed runoff volumes, soil loss and soil erodibility varied with land use types and locations. Runoff volumes, soil loss and soil erodibility were all higher in cereal crop-cultivated lands, and least in leguminous-crop cultivated lands. Parallel to that, runoff, soil loss and soil erodibility were highest from soils taken from Dalori area, and they were least from soils collected from Chad basin area. Leguminous cropped areas were found to be more effective in binding soil particles than tree crops. Cereal crops demonstrated poor soil binding effectiveness. The study shows that land use changes influenced the soil erosion risk and called for adoption of appropriate soil conservation techniques to preserve the soil quality, improve crop production and sustain environmental health.
PLOS ONE
Soil erosion is a multifactor threat to crop production and the environment. Most studies on soil erosion characterization have not focused on soil nutrient loss associated with erosion. The aim of this study was therefore to quantify the magnitude of nutrient loss through soil erosion under different cropping systems and amendments to inform agronomic practices in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). A field experiment was carried out on runoff plots with different cropping systems (sole maize, sole cowpea, sole maize and maize intercropped with soybean) as main plots and soil amendments (biochar, NPK (Nitrogen +Phosphorus +Potassium) fertilizer, NPK + biochar and a control (no amendment)) constituting the subplots in a randomized complete block design. For each block, a bare plot was included to assess the efficiency of the different crop and soil management practices on soil erosion. The study was carried out in three consecutive cropping seasons in the semi-deciduous forest zone of Ghana. The bare plots had the highest amounts of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) eroded: 33.88, 12.35 and 12.75 kg ha-1 respectively followed by the control plots with magnitude of 20.43, 8.42 and 7.87 kg ha-1 respectively for N, P and K. Sole maize had the highest amounts of nutrient loss: 19.71, 8.12 and 7.27 for N, P and K respectively compared to all the other cropping systems where the losses varied respectively from 12.38 to 17.12, 6.67 to 7.49 and 5.81 to 6.75 kg ha-1 The legume-based cropping systems under inorganic fertilizer and biochar management effectively reduced nutrient loss more than all other treatment combinations. The off-site effect of soil erosion expressed as enrichment ratio (ER) was higher for all plots, which received inorganic fertilizer inputs varying from 1.93 to 3.06 while the other treatments had ERs of 1.51 to 2.03. The ERs of fine soil particles were greater than 1 (ranging from 1.14 to 3.6) being relatively higher than that of coarse particles (sand) with values below 1 (ranging from 0.62 to 0.88). The least cumulative monetary value of nutrient loss (30.82 US$ ha-1) was observed under cowpea cropping system which received NPK + BC treatment. Soil erosion affected directly soil nutrient depletion through nutrient loss; however, integrated soil fertility management associated with legume-based cropping systems can be alternative options to reducing its effects on croplands in SSA.
Soil Erosion in South Eastern Nigeria: A Review
2017
The development of gullies and other forms of erosion have become the greatest environmental hazard and disaster rampant in southeastern Nigeria. Agricultural productivity, sustainability and management for food security/sustenance in this region has been undermined and greatly limited by the menace posed by soil erosion while the availability of farmlands for agricultural production and construction activities have been greatly reduced by losses caused by the attendant issues of soil erosion. Through productive review of existing research and field observation this paper presents a comprehensive review of the causes and effects of soil erosion as well as control measures aimed at reducing and mitigating the threats posed by soil erosion within the region. From the study the major causes of soil erosion within the study area were narrowed down to human interference, climatic factors (rainfall), poor geology, undulating topography and soil nature while control measures such as cultiv...
Experimental Agriculture, 2019
On low-input smallholder farms of Kenyan upland landscapes, erosion of nutrient-rich topsoil strongly affects crop yields. Where maize (Zea mays) is intercropped on erosion-prone slopes, intercropping can potentially reduce soil erosion. The objective of this research was to quantify the contribution of crops and crop mixtures of different growth habits to erosion control and their influence on above-ground biomass and earthworm abundance as indicators of soil function in smallholder farming systems under a bimodal rainfall pattern in Western Kenya. The experiment involved five treatments, namely maize (Z. mays)/common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) intercrop (maize intercrop), maize/common bean intercrop plus Calliandra (Calliandra calothyrsus) hedgerows and Calliandra mulch (Calliandra), sole Lablab (Lablab purpureus), sole Mucuna (Mucuna pruriens) and groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) intercropped with maize (during the short rains). The experiment was conducted over three consecutive cropping seasons and the cropping system had significant effects on soil loss, runoff, water infiltration, earthworm abundance and above-ground biomass and crop grain yield. The Calliandra treatment had the lowest runoff (11.6-17.2 mm ha −1) and soil erosion (31-446 kg ha −1 per season) in all the seasons, followed by the Mucuna treatment. Lablab was affected by disease and showed the highest soil erosion in the last two seasons. Infiltration was highest in Calliandra treatment, and earthworm abundance was higher under Mucuna and Calliandra treatments (229 and 165 earthworms per square metre, respectively) than under other crops. Our results suggest that including sole crops of herbaceous species such as Mucuna, or tree hedgerows with mixtures of maize and grain legumes has the potential to reduce runoff and soil erosion in smallholder farming. Additionally, these species provide a suitable habitat for earthworms which stabilise soil structure and macropores and thus potentially increase infiltration, further reducing soil erosion.
SOIL EROSION ASSESSMENT AT THE UDI-NSUKKA CUESTA (SOUTHEASTERN NIGERIA)
Biophysical and participatory research methods were combined to examine factors contributing to soil erosion at ®eld plot, village and regional scale on the sandstone dominated Udi-Nsukka Cuesta in southeastern Nigeria. At ®eld plot scale, the properties of seven pedons were related to soil erodibility. Very high in®ltration rates measured with a double ring in®ltrometer and permeameter, were not in accordance to reported runo and soil loss. The eect of groundcover and canopy height was incorporated into rainfall erosivity for plots under cashew, oil palm dominated forest and secondary natural vegetation. Cropping systems and ®eld management practices were compared for dierent positions along a toposequence traversing the plateau and escarpment of the Udi-Nsukka Cuesta. Soil loss, calculated by a modi®ed version of the universal soil loss equation, was 10 to 100 times higher on escarpment than on plateau plots. Farmers are adapting to the problems of interrill and rill erosion through careful crop selection and rotation, and contour ridging. At the village and regional scale, terrain observations were compared to archival research, historical accounts by villagers and geographic analysis of 1962 aerial photographs (1 : 40 000). Ravine and gully formations seemed in¯uenced by a combination of infrastructure, geohydrology, topography, vegetation and land use. Both community eorts and state measures to combat erosion tend to be crisis managed, and are concentrated on repairing damage to economically important infrastructures. A conceptual diagram has been developed to show the complex interaction between various geophysical, agroecological, socio-economic and political components in¯uencing soil erosion at farm, village and regional scale.
Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, 2013
This study evaluated physical properties of selected soil series and their implications on the soil compaction and erosion in Abeokuta, southwestern Nigeria. Daily rainfall data (1999–2007) were collected to estimate the rainfall erosivity. Seven soil series (Iwo, Iseyin, Ekiti, Jago, Okemesi, Apomu, and Egbeda) were sampled from 0–15, 15–30, and 30–50 cm depths for particle size distribution, organic carbon, pH, upper plastic limit, and compactibility (Proctor test). Microtopographical changes along and across toposequences of two farmers’ fields cleared mechanically and manually, respectively, were monitored using the erosion pin method. Mean annual erosivity (EI30) was high (7646 MJ mm ha−1 hr−1). Particle size, organic carbon, and pH were similar (p ≥ 0.05), while upper plastic moisture was ≤ 2% among different soil series. Soil-moisture density curves indicated a maximum bulk density of 1.77–1.99 g cm−3 for a moisture range of 7.6–14%; while the soils were prone to compaction at low moisture content. Microtopographic changes were found between –2 and 0 cm and –8 and –2 cm on mechanically and manually cleared farmland, respectively. Spatial dependence showed that the soil erosion could be predicted within 5–8 m distance. To avoid erosion and compaction, soil water content should be less than 7.6% before the introduction of mechanical tillage.
Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 2007
Resource-poor farmers in developing nations cultivate marginal lands, thereby exacerbating the problem of soil degradation through poor plant growth and ground coverage. An assessment of ground cover under such a practice will provide a guideline for soil conservation. Ground cover by leguminous cover crops (e.g., Mucuna pruriens, Pueraria phaseoloides and Vigna unguiculata), associated with yam, maize and rice was measured in three different experiments in southwestern Nigeria using beaded-string method while leaf area was measured using a flat-bed scanner. The leaf area was used in obtaining equivalent of ground cover fraction from the leaf area index. Ground cover by yam was < 15% at 10 wap (weeks after planting) in the second year of cropping and was < 25% at 25 wap in the fourth year of cropping. Maize+legume ground cover was < 40% at harvest (14 wap) in the third year of cropping. At 10 wap, rice 'WAB 189' had significantly higher ground coverage (43.8%) than 'ITA 321' (32.5%) and 'WAB 450' (33.2%). Both the beadedstring and scanning methods were close in the values of ground cover fractions for upland rice, but not for maize, indicating that prediction equation cannot be generalized for crops with different morphology. Cover cropping and residue mulching are good practices for low-intensity cultivation of marginal lands to achieve soil conservation effectiveness.
EFFECT OF TILLAGE AND MULCHING ON SOIL WATER EROSION IN LINSINLIN WATERSHED, CENTRE OF BENIN
Soils degradation in Benin is most commonly reported thread for the agricultural production and this situation became more crucial in the Centre of Benin. This study has been carried out to evaluate the contribution of farmer's soil conservation practices to combat soil erosion in the agricultural watershed of Linsinlin. A field experiment was conducted on loamy-sand soil using Fisher Block design under researcher management. The factors which testified during study were tillage and mulching. The "Runoff plot" system was installed to collect erosion data. Three rainfall episodes viz, June 15, 19 and 27, 2016 with 52, 27 and 57 mm of water were used for the data collection. Rain distribution was measured for each rainy episode using a rain gauge. These three rainy episodes constitute a repetition. Results of study revealed that tillage and mulching treatment significantly decrease runoff, soil loss and nutrients loss (nitrogen, available phosphorus, potassium, magnesium). In case of nutrient lose, highest amount of nitrogen and potassium were lost. The interactive effect of tillage system and mulching was significant on runoff, soil and nutrient loss. The treatment combining isohypse ridging with mulching practice reduced total runoff from 6.27% to 0%, soil loss 2028 kg.ha-1. rain-1 to 0 kg. ha-1 .rain-1 and