Changes in the Structure of a Nigerian Soil under Different Land Management Practices

Abstract

Quantification of soil physical quality (SPQ) and pore size distribution (PSD) can assist understanding of how changes in land management practices influence dynamics of soil structure, and this understanding could greatly improve the predictability of soil physical behavior and crop yield. The objectives of this study were to measure the SPQ index under two different land management practices (the continuous arable cropping system and natural bush fallow system), and contrast the effects of these practices on the structure of PSD using soil water retention data. Soil water retention curves obtained from a pressure chamber were fitted to van Genuchten's equation, setting m (= 1-1/n). Although values for soil bulk density were high, soils under the continuous arable cropping system had good SPQ, and maintained the capacity to support root development. However, soils under the natural bush fallow system had a worse structure than the continuous arable system, with restrictions in available water capacity. These two management systems had different PSDs. Results showed the inferiority of the natural bush fallow system with no traffic restriction (which is the common practice) in relation to the continuous arable cropping system in regard to physical quality and structure.

Soil structure changes induced by tillage systems

“…The use of PSD to infer soil structure changes induced by different phenomena is becoming more and more common in the soil science (Cássaro et al, 2011;Dal Ferro et al, 2014). The methods utilized to obtain pore size distribution are based on the soil water retention curve (SWRC), mercury porosimetry, nitrogen adsorption and image analysis techniques such as the conventional resin impregnated block methodology or computed microtomography (mCT) (Hajnos et al, 2006;Imhoff et al, 2010;Kutilek et al, 2006;Lipiec et al, 2007;Ogunwole et al, 2015;Pagliai et al, 2004;Pires et al, 2013;Rab et al, 2014;Taina et al, 2010).…”

Influence of physical attributes and pedotransfer function for predicting water retention in management systems

“…The dashed line represents 1:1 line mainly related to the similar values of the n parameter (Table 4) (Ogunwole et al, 2015). However, the estimated distribution exhibited a shift of the most frequent pore size for large sizes.…”

Effects of surface‐applied and soil‐incorporated lime on some physical attributes of a Dystrudept soil

“…In the 0.10‐ to 0.20‐m soil layer, the increase in Ma on the control treatment in relation to the PH treatment (Figure c) was probably because at high potentials there is also water in the macropores and their reduction reduces water retention at high potentials (from 0 to −10 kPa) (Alaoui et al ., ). Similarly the higher Mi of the SH treatment (Figure a) leads to higher retention at lower potentials (Ogunwole et al ., ; Moraes et al ., ).…”