TITLE:
Changes in Soil pH and Exchangeable Acidity of Selected Parent Materials as Influenced by Amendments in South East of Nigeria
AUTHORS:
Mabel Ifeoma Onwuka, Uzochukwu Victor Ozurumba, Ogadimma Simonpeter Nkwocha
KEYWORDS:
Parent Materials, pH, Exchangeable Acidity and Amendments
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.4 No.5,
May
12,
2016
ABSTRACT: Soil chemical degradation caused by acidity is a serious constraint to
food production in most parts of the Tropics. It was in the bid to proffer
solution to this that the present study was conceived. Anincubation study was conducted at
the laboratory of Soil Science and Meteorology Department of Michael Okpara
University of Agriculture Umudike. The aim was to ascertain the effect of
amendments namely: Control (no amendment), Biochar, Ash, Lime, Biochar +
Poultry Manure, Ash + Poultry Manure and Lime + Poultry Manure, on soil pH and
exchangeable acidity of Sandstone, Shale and Alluvium. The rate of application
was 1.43 g for the sole amendments and 0.72 g each for the combined amendments
to give an equivalent of 2 t/ha. They were applied to 100 g of the soil and
replicated three times in a Completely Randomized Design. The incubation study
lasted for eighty-four days, the pH and exchangeable acidity were determined at
fourteen days intervals. The result obtained revealed that all the treatments
increased the soil pH and decreased the exchangeable acidity over the control.
In all parent materials, applied Lime and Lime + Pm significantly (p th day of incubation which, was the time, the maximum pH value was attained.
Biochar and Biochar + Pm were considered the appropriate amendments because the
pH values they gave were towards neutral, unlike that of Lime and Lime + Pm
that were towards alkaline. It is recommended that field trial of this work is
conducted.