ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to assess the distribution of some selected oxides and monosaccharaides in soils of coconut and teak plantation in the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. The experiment was a factorial experiment, samples were collected from two farms, at four different depths replicated three times, making a total of 24 samples. Results showed that there was a significant difference amongst soil properties and oxides and it also showed a significant difference amongst soil properties and monosaccharaides. Total nitrogen and available phosphorus were negatively significantly correlated with the various forms of iron and manganese on both farms. Feox (r = -0.968*, r = -0.941*), Fep (r = -0.967*, r = -0.943*), Mnd (r = -0.962*, r = -0.933*), Mnp (r = -0.946*, r = -0.948*) and Fet (r = -0.878*, r = -0.921*) (coconut plantation). Fed( r = -0.799*, r = -0.686* ), Feox ( r = -0.798*, r = -0.685*), Fep ( r = -0.798*, r = -0.684*), Mnd ( r = -0.798*, r = -0.689*), Mnp ( r = -0.803*, r = -0.708*) and Fet ( r = -0.676*, r = -0.667*) (teak plantation). Clay was negatively significantly correlated with Glucose (r = -0.721*), Galactose (r = -0.770), Mannose (r = -0.847), Xylose(r = -0.797*), Arabinose (r = -0.669*)(coconut plantation) and Glucose(r = -0.926*), Galactose ( r = -0.945*), Mannose(r = -0.942*), Xylose(r = -0.948*) and Arabinose (r = -0.847*) (Teak plantation) in both farms, while Total nitrogen was positively correlated with Glucose (r = 0.687*), Galactose(r = 0.669*), Mannose(r = 0.638*), Xylose (r = 0.717*), and Arabinose (r = 0.551*) (Teak farm). Arabinose was highest in coconut farm with a mean value of (1.00) contrary to high concentration of glucose in most soils. High content of arabinose in the soil suggests that the carbohydrate could be of fresh plant tissue origin, while glucose (0.29) dominated in teak farm as observed in previous results. The study concluded that the soils were strongly acidic and were low in most nutrients needed for the growth of coconut and teak trees.
