Title: Characteristics of soils under conventional farming practices in a part of South Western Nigeria

Authors: Yetunde Mary Adelere; Adebayo Oluwole Eludoyin; Olusegun Olufemi Awotoye

Addresses: Institute of Ecology and Environmental Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ' Department of Geography, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ' Institute of Ecology and Environmental Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Abstract: The need to ensure food security has threatened sustainable agriculture in many regions; hence recent studies have focused on sustainable farm practices. The study compared soil properties and quality under five different farm practices in a part of the southwest Nigeria. This study indicated that fewer soil properties accounted for more percentage change in total variance at the fallow and mono-cropping plots than at the forest, crop rotation and alley farming systems. It also showed that soils under fallow and mono-cropping systems exhibited the lowest quality values among the farm practices system studied. The study recommends improved soil management approaches in plots under mono-cropping practices, and extensive soil recovery programmes for fallow lands.

Keywords: agricultural practices; soil physical and chemical attributes; soil quality index; Plinthic luvisol; Nigeria.

DOI: 10.1504/IER.2018.093316

Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, 2018 Vol.19 No.2, pp.153 - 167

Received: 02 Nov 2017
Accepted: 16 Mar 2018
Published online: 24 Jul 2018 *

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