It is necessary to evaluate the physico-chemical properties of soils under continuous tillage in other to be able to manage the soil sustainably. This study evaluates the physico-chemical properties of soils under fallow, manual tillage and conventional tillage systems for the past fifteen years. Soil samples were collected in 0-20cm depth and analyzed for particle size distribution, soil organic matter, soil nitrogen, soil phosphorus, soil pH, organic carbon, water holding capacity, cation exchangeable capacity (CEC), porosity, moisture content (MC) and bulk density (BD). Results shows that the soil of the area is sandy, the fallow and mechanized farming area are strongly acidic while the manually tilled land is moderately acidic. Furthermore, the fallow had the highest values of organic matter, available phosphorus, total nitrogen, exchangeable sodium and potassium, CEC, moisture content and porosity (2.35%, 7.57ppm, 0.385%, 8.69%, 27.79%, 7.7%, 3.00%, 48.00% and 54.00% respectively) while the lowest values were obtained in the mechanized tilled land area. This established evidence of depletion of soil properties due to long term mechanized tillage in the study area, therefore sustainable practices targeted at restoring and sustaining the soil productivity are suggested.
Key words: tillage, alfisols, fallow, soil, physico-chemical, sustainable practices
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