SOIL QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF DIFFERENT LAND USE TYPES IN SABONGIDA TAKAI NORTHEAST, NIGERIA

Soil quality assessment is imperative in determining the level of soil potential in order to ensure sustainable land use practices. The determination of the soil quality of Sabongida Takai Northeast Nigeria is essential hence it is an agrarian area. A free survey technique was used to cite profile pit on each of the four land use types selected for the study. The profile pits were sampled base on horizon differentiation and the samples were subjected to routine and special laboratory analyses. Generated data were statistically analyzed using one-way analyses of variance. Soil qualities were determined using Amacher soil quality index. The result indicated that sand fraction had the mean of 80.40 %, 79.55 %, 77.47 % and 56.80 % for the soil under dump site, farm site, residential site, and wetland site. The pH was high while total nitrogen, Mg, Na, K, total exchangeable acidity, Pb, and Cd were low according to the ratings of USDA NRSC soil quality index. The organic carbon was moderate at the dump site and farm site while it was low at the residential site and wetland site. Hence, the need to embark in soil management practices that will sustain the soil quality is imperative.