Original Articles: 2011 Vol: 3 Issue: 6
Physico-chemical properties of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) farm soil in Ikota, Ifedore, Nigeria
Abstract
The physico- chemical properties of 50 years and 150 years old cocoa farms soils were analyzed for their PH, EA, ECEC,PBS, OM, ON, total nitrogen, phosphorus, OC,OP, particle sizes and mineral analyzes. The PH values of both farms ranged from 5.44+0.06 to 6.41+0.00.The EA were also between 11.12cmol/kg+0.86 to 11.76cmol/kg+1.28. The ECEC of the farms were between 16.91 cmol/kg+0.76 to 18.56 cmol/kg+1.31.The PBS ranged from 39.34%+2.87 to 45.04%+3.49. The TEB of the cocoa farms were between 6.79 cmol/kg+0.33 to 6.80cmol/kg+0.27. The organic carbon of both farms ranged from (31.50g/kg+3.48) to (37.44g/kg+5.15). The organic Phosphorus ranged from (163.59g/kg+7.47) to (185.58g/kg+11.32). The organic matter ranged from (44.65g/kg+1.00) to (54.30g/kg+6.00). The organic Nitrogen also ranged from (1.30g/kg+0.03) to (1.58g/kg+0.17).The total Nitrogen ranged from (0.43%+0.04) to (0.75%+0.06).The clay soil ranged from24.23%+0.39 to 29.05%+0.68, silt ranged from 25.21% +0.76 to 29.41%+0.88, sand sizes were between 45.74% +0.52 to 46.35%+0.74, while the particle densities of the two farms were between 2.18g/cm3 +0.07 to 2.56g/cm3+0.06. The mineral analyses showed that the mineral contents ranged from 0.045mg/kg+0.05 to 0.52mg/kg+0.03. The soil samples showed traces of heavy metals like Pb, mn, Ni, Cd.