ABSTRACT

The study was carried out to assess the physic-chemical properties of gully eroded soil in Isiukwuato, Abia State. The soil samples were collected from the top, middle and bottom. Five points from each stage (i.e. from top, middle, bottom respectively) making total of fifteen samples to be analyzed. Soil auger was used to collect the samples. For the core sampler (5cm x 5cm) in diameter was used to collect samples for bulk density. The samples were air dried and sieves through a 2mm mesh, these samples were collected in a bag and labelled for laboratory analysis. The Particle Size Distribuiion method; 50g of 2mmsieved soil sample was weighed into a 200m1 beaker and 50rn1 of calgon solution was added and allowed to stand overnight (24 hours). The soil solution was transferred into a stirrer and stirred for about 5rninutes then transferred into a 1 litter measunng cylinder made up to mark. The hydrometer readings were then taken at 40 seconds and 2 hours intervals after agitating the suspension. A blank sample was prepared and the readings taken as well. The temperature reading of the sample was also measured. Soil Bulk Density was determined as follows; The core sampling method was used, a core cylinder of known dimension (length 5cm and diameter 5cm) containing soil samples was oven dried for 48 hours at temperature of 105°C and weighed and the volume of the soil in each core will be calculated. The total porosity was calculated from the dry bulk density and the particle density (assumed to be 2.65gm3for most mineral soil). The soil PH was determined using both (potassium chloride) and distilled water solution at a ratio of 1:25, wate/salt suspension. 5g of air dried sieved soil was weighed into 50m1 beaker. Twenty-five mills of water and 35m1s of KCL was added differently to each of the beakers and allowed to sand for up to thirty minutes and was occasionally stirred with glass rod. After this, the electrode of the pH meter was inserted into the partly settled suspension and the pH was measured. Available Phosphorus, Organic Carbon, Cation Exchange Capacity, Exchangeable Acidity, Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Ksat were also determined and calculated. The result from the laboratory analysis were statistically analyzed using RCBD where treatments were assigned as depth of gully, with five the replication per depth. Statistically significant means were separated using FLsD(O.05). From the results and its discussions, physical properties of the soil differed in concentrations within the top, Middle and bottom down the depth of a gulley eroded soil. The chemical properties such as Ph, phosphorus, Nitrogen, %organic carbon, %organic matter, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, ECEC, %BS, potassium Chloride, and Bulk density were all found to be highest at the bottom.