Assessing Soil Quality Issues for Crop Production Function in Itapaji Watershed of Southwestern Nigeria: An Approach.

To successfully monitor and manage soil quality for sustainable crop production, there is need to identify issues that can affect soil quality management. In addition, the similarities and differences between local farmers’ perception of soil quality and that of soil scientist must be explored. This study aim at identifying soil quality issues in Itapaji watershed of southwestern Nigeria using participatory rural appraisal and conventional methods.

The study was carried out in Itapaji watershed in Ikole local government area of Ekiti state, Nigeria. Diagnostic survey was carried out using participatory approach in which questionnaires were distributed and soil quality issues identified by farmers. These were further analysed to identify the soil quality issues from the farmers’ perspectives. For conventional method, major soil types in the watershed were identified using existing soil map while cluster soil sampling was carried out within the identified map units. Soil samples collected were analysed in the laboratory and soil quality issues were identified. The relationship between the soil issues from farmers’ interview and soil analysis were established by correlation analysis at α_0.05.

Soil quality issues identified by farmers in the watershed are soil compaction by Fulani cattle, low soil fertility, termite infestation, crop wilt, hardpan formation, erosion, restricted drainage, high land use intensity and reduced fallow. Among these issues, low soil fertility was the most prominent with about 36.2 % impact on crop production in the watershed. Conventionally from soil survey and cluster analysis, CEC and organic matter are low which indicate low soil fertility; there is high acidity, shallow effective soil depth with presence of plinthite/hard pan. There was a high positive relationship (r = 0.70) between farmers’ perception of soil quality and the conventional method. This is an indication that farmer’s perspective in assessing soil quality is in line with conventional method in the watershed.

Keywords: Soil quality issues, participatory rural appraisal, conventional method, watershed