DETERMINATION OF AVAILABLE PHOSPHORUS (P) AND CATION EXCHANGE CAPACITY (CEC) IN THE SOIL OF FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION FARM, ZARIA, NIGERIA.

Nwankwo, Ifeoma V., Emea, Ajike E. and Ogbodo, Michael O.
Keywords: Soil Nutrients Cation Phosphorus minerals Exchange
Clifford University International Journal of Development Studies (CLUIJODS) 2023 3(1), 1-7. Published: December 2023

Abstract

Soil is a form of medium containing mineral nutrients needed for plant growth. Any soil that contains ample amount of nutrient supports plant growth and such soil is said to be fertile. It is within the purview of this study to determine the availability of phosphorus and the exchangeable metals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium respectively in the soil of Federal College of Education, Zaria. These nutrients were determined in the soil sample by using Spectroscopic techniques. The results obtained showed that the phosphorus content of the soil to be 10.88mol/kg and the effective cation exchange capacity in the soil samples determined to be 2.85 which is lower than the critical value reported to be 3.12. The mean values of magnesium, Potassium and sodium were obtained to be 0.93, 0.49 and 0.92 mol/kg respectively. In conclusion, from the research work, available phosphorus, exchangeable cation exchange capacity in the soil of Federal College of Education is not adequate for the growth and up take of the crops.