SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF SOIL PROPERTIES IN THE CROSS RIVER BASIN FARM, ITU, AKWA IBOM STATE AS A RESULT OF PARENT MATERIALS.

SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF SOIL PROPERTIES IN THE CROSS RIVER BASIN FARM, ITU, AKWA IBOM STATE AS A RESULT OF PARENT MATERIALS.

INTRODUCTION

When modeling soil formation and environmental processes, it is now abundantly evident and understood that it is necessary to take into consideration the geographical variability of soil parameters. In order to improve agricultural management techniques (Mc Bratney and Pringle, 1999) and reduce the amount of harm done to the environment, it is essential to have a good understanding of the distribution of soil qualities across the field and the variability of those values.

The term "spatial" refers to the location, size, and shape of items inside a certain area, as well as the changes that are occurring within this time period. When a quantity is measured in a variety of spatial locations and the results are found to differ from one site to the next, this phenomenon is known as spatial variability. Despite its significance in the development of suitable experimental sampling procedures, the spatial variability of soil characteristics is only a little known concept (Esu, 2021). The Cross River Basin Development Authority Farm programme wants to examine the regional variability of the soil's chemical and physical characteristics in order to prepare for a farm-scale agro-ecosystem services monitoring project. This will be helpful in the process of establishing an acceptable soil management system, which can then be utilized to pick appropriate agronomic methods for the farm.

The use of soil management methods is very vital to the practice of environmentally responsible agriculture and to the condition of the surrounding environment. The kind and magnitude of shifts in soil attributes are mostly influenced by the management methods that are put into place. Alterations to the original ecology of a region that are carried out in order to make way for agricultural development may be the cause of soil degradation and quality declines. These problems are brought on by the soil's physical characteristics being disrupted (Etukudo, 2021). Changes in soil quality that aren't desirable can frequently be induced by soil management practices including tilling the soil, applying fertilizer, and irrigating the land. Both Jaiyeoba (2003) and Dunjo et al. (2003) conducted research on the impact of changing soil quality on ecosystems and found similar results. The decrease in cation exchange capacity (CEC), which may be attributed in large part to the loss in soil organic matter (SOM), is the most significant consequence that can be caused by soil cultivation practices such as tilling (Paz-Gonzalez et al., 2000).

It's possible that different types of soil tillage methods will result in an increase in the soil's pH, base saturation, and extractable phosphorus. When compared with pasture soils, farmed land had lower levels of both soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (Chan and Hulugalle, 1999). Changes in land use and management methods have a significant impact on the physical and chemical characteristics of soil. An assessment of the spatial variation of soil properties in areas where agronomic procedures are used indicated that cultivated soils had a higher proportion of clay that is mechanically dispersible, a lower pH, and higher electrical conductivity than pasture soils. This was compared to pasture soils. The average amount of gravel found in agricultural regions is significantly higher (Paz-Gonzalez et al., 2000).

Both intrinsic variables, which are those that make the soil, and extrinsic factors, which include soil management methods, fertilization, and crop rotation, can have an effect on the spatial distribution of soil characteristics, which can range from a single field to a wider region (Cambardella and Karlen, 1999). The term "variation" refers to the slow but steady shift in soil characteristics that occurs as a result of landforms, geomorphic features, soil forming forces, and soil management (Buol et al., 1997). It is important to monitor and quantify the variation in soil characteristics in order to have a better understanding of the effects that land use and management strategies have on soils. It has been demonstrated that geostatistical approaches are capable of accurately forecasting the spatial variation of soil parameters (Zebarth et al., 2002; Lark, 2002; Dercon et al., 2003).

Both highland and flood plain (wetland) soils are present in the Cross River Basin Farm in Itu, which is located in the state of Akwa Ibom. The farm encompasses a total area of 3,514 hectares. It is a key food production center in the state of Akwa Ibom, and it is involved in large-scale agricultural methods using rain-fed, wetland, and irrigated land. Produced foods include vegetables including fluted pumpkin (Telfaria occidentalis), cucumba, pepper (Capsicum spp), okro, garden egg, and tomato. Other foods include garden eggs. Plants that grow underground tubers include the water yam (Dioscorea alata), cassava (Manihot esculenta), cocoyam, and groundnut. Other types of agricultural products include fruits and tree crops, such as plantains, mangoes, and other similar products (Etukudo, 2021).

Due to the significant role that the farm plays in the production of food and in order to make a positive contribution to the national program on food security, the research project was carried out with the intention of determining the degree to which certain soil properties in the farm owned by the Cross River Basin Development Authority (CRBDA) in Itu, Akwa Ibom State, vary from location to location. In order to accomplish the aforementioned goal, the following subgoals have been established:

1. Determine physical and chemical parameters of soils generated from alluvial and sandstone parent materials
2. To analyze the variety of the farm's soil qualities.

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