ABSTRACT
This experiment was conducted in the University of Benin, Benin City, to determine Micronutrient status of four different land use types in The Ugbowo Campus of University of Benin, Benin City.
The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and replicated three times. Soil samples were collected from four different land use type namely; Arable land, Fallow land, Residential land and Forest, at depth of 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm at three (3) different locations (replicates) in each land use type using an auger. Soil samples taken were sent to the laboratory for analysis using the various standard laboratory procedures. Some of the parameters analyzed for are: particle size distribution, pH, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), as well as micronutrients like, boron (B), chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo) and zinc (Zn). Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) while means were separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at P<0.05.
Results shows that: Sand fraction dominated the soils across the four land uses. They were all in textural class: Loamy Sand. The pH of the top soil ranges from moderately acidic (5.70) in the forest to slightly Alkaline (7.33) in the residential area. The TOC was high in the 0-15 cm depth, across the various land uses, but range from low (8.81 g/kg) in Arable land to medium (10.29 g/kg) in forest. The TN content varies from low (0.77 g/kg) in Arable land to moderately low (1.05 g/kg) in forest Area. The Available phosphorus content of the 0-15 cm depth were moderate, with forest having the highest (16.00 mg/kg) value. while the least value (11.23 mg/kg) was recorded in the fallow Land. The micronutrients (B, Cl, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo and Zn) had their highest concentrations in the 0-15 cm depth in all the land uses. Boron content varies from 5.56 mg/kg in fallow land to 10.97 mg/kg in forest, chlorine content increased from 4.41 mg/kg in the forest to 6.75 mg/kg in the residential area, copper content was between 21.23 mg/kg fallow land to 25.70mg/kg in the residential area. Furthermore, the iron and zinc contents vary from 258.7 and 16.97 mg/kg respectively in the forest to 289and 20.93 mg/kg respectively in the residential area. Similarly, manganese and molybdenum contents (6.77 and 0.70 mg/kg) were least in the forest and highest (11.80 and 0.91 mg/kg) in the arable farm. All the land uses belong the textural class of loamy sand.
