Electrical Conductivity, Basic Cations and Organic Matter content of Soils under different Land use Practices in AkwaIbom State

Variation in electrical conductivity, basic cations and organic matter content of soils can be influenced by land use practices, and these parameters may be affected by another. The study was conducted to ascertain the electrical conductivity (EC), basic cations and organic matter content of soils under varying land use types and to assess the relationship between electrical conductivity and the other parameters. The land use types were intensively cultivated farmland (ICF), natural forest (NF), oil palm plantation (OPP) and gmelina plantation (GP). Stratified random sampling technic was used in the collection of soil samples from the land use types. Three (3) replicates of bulk soil were collected for each land use giving a total of twelve (12) observational units. Soil samples were prepared and analyzed in a laboratory and data generated were subjected to analysis of variance, regression analysis and descriptive statistics. There was significant (P≤0.05) variation in the measured parameter among soils of the land use types. Soils under ICF, OPP, and GP had similar electrical conductivity of 0.08 (dS/m), while NF had 0.10 (dS/m). Organic matter (OM) content of 13.3 g/kg, 19.0 g/kg, 15.3 g/kg and 18.7 g/kg were observed under ICF, NF, OPP and GP, respectively. Exchangeable calcium at ICL was 2.33 cmol/kg; at NF it was 2.50 cmol/kg; at OPP, it was 2.40cmol/kg, and 1.93cmol/kg at GP. Exchangeable magnesium (Mg) was highest (1.07 cmol/kg) at ICL but lowest (0.93cmol/kg) at GP. Similarly, ICF had highest (1.73cmol/kg) and NF had lowest (0.04 cmol/kg) for exchangeable sodium. Calcium and magnesium had significant (P≤0.05) positive relationships with electrical conductivity, while organic matter and sodium had negative but non-significant relationship with electrical conductivity. The soils do not have salt problem and may not be prone to salinity in the future, meanwhile, organic matter input should be increased at the soil under intensively cultivated farmland.