Study on the Influence of Topography and Management Practices on Nitrogen Content of Soils Formed in Biotite-Granite Parent Material on the Jos Plateau, Nigeria | Chapter 07 | Recent Progress in Plant and Soil Research Vol. 5

 The purpose of this research is to examine the nitrogen content of soils produced on biotite-granite parent materials and to suggest management strategies that will ensure the nutrient's availability for long-term crop development. Nitrogen is an important macronutrient for crop growth and output. Soil fertility is one of the key restrictions to long-term crop productivity on the Jos Plateau. Soil fertility is determined by the availability of nitrogen and other important plant nutrients in the soil. A variety of factors, including drainage, texture, and slope steepness, influence nitrogen levels in soils. This research focused on biotite-granite, one of the most important parent materials in the Jos Plateau, taking into account geography and farmer management techniques. The results revealed that the soils had a low nitrogen concentration. The range of surface soils was 0.021-0.140 percent, with a mean of 0.065 percent. For the upper foot slope, middle foot slope, lower foot slope, and depression, the slope facets had means of 0.058 percent, 0.042 percent, 0.069 percent, and 0.103 percent, respectively. Organic matter was substantially linked (r =0.694) with the increased nitrogen concentration in the depression. The profile pit results revealed that soils in the upper foot slope and depression had greater surface contents (0.105 percent and 0.140 percent, respectively), while those in the intermediate foot slope had the lowest. At the surface, the profile pits with and without burnt municipal garbage had 0.150 percent and 0.090 percent, respectively. The T-test resulted in a value of 0.001 for nitrogen and 0.01 to 0.001 for other soil characteristics, showing that the two treatments had significant differences in their means. Crop rotation, cover crop planting, and mixed farming were suggested as management strategies for increasing nitrogen concentration in soils.

Author(S) Details

J. S. Galadima
Department of Geography and Planning, University of JOS. P. M. B. 2084, JOS, Nigeria.

E. A. Olowolafe
Department of Geography and Planning, University of JOS. P. M. B. 2084, JOS, Nigeria.

I. S. Laka
Department of Geography and Planning, University of JOS. P. M. B. 2084, JOS, Nigeria.

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