Assessment of Soil Chemical Quality for Upland Rice Cultivation in Selected Communities in Bwari Area Council, FCT, Nigeria

Abstract

Rice is a major staple food in Nigeria with increase in demand due to interest in rice meal. This study, therefore, attempts to examine the suitability of the soil chemical properties in selected communities in Bwari Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, for the cultivation of upland rice. Igu, Gyeyidna, Kuchiko, Piawe, Dutse, Jikoko, Shere, Piko, Ushafa and Jigo communities were selected as non-contiguous pair from five geographical wards (Igu, kuduru, Dutse, Shere and Ushafa) in the Area Council. They were purposively selected using the criteria of 500 metres and above elevation (upland condition) and agricultural preponderance. The soil samples were collected from farmland in each of the communities using systematic sampling procedure, which involved measuring a 100 by 100 metres quadrat and dividing it into sixteen equal grid squares with a dimension of 25 by 25 metres. Soil samples were taken at the mid points of each grid square at a depth of 0 – 30cm. The collected sixteen (16) soil samples for each quadrat were uniformly mixed into one bulk composite sample for each community. The soil results were compared with the standard land quality requirements for upland rice cultivation for Southern Guinea Savanna. pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were assessed. Furthermore, the soil chemical properties were statistically compared with the standard requirement for upland rice cultivation using the paired sample t-Test. Results reveal that there was no significant difference between the soil quality of the study area and standard soil quality requirements for the cultivation of upland rice. Based on this, it was concluded that the chemical soil properties of the sampled communities in Bwari Area Council will support the c

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