Soil Fertility Assessment of a Shea (vitellariaparadoxa C.f. Gaertn ) Field at Bida, Niger State

Knowledge of the fertility status of soils is basic to managing them for optimum crop production. Fertility status of a cultivated Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn) field was assessed at Bida, Niger state. Soil samples were collected using auger and core methods, air-dried, sieved with a 2- mm sieve and analyzed for physical and chemical properties in the laboratory using standard methods. The results when compared with soil fertility classes for upland crop cultivation and soil characteristics for tropical soils indicated that organic matter, ECEC and exchangeable potassium were low. The study further revealed that base saturation percent cannot be relied upon as an indicator of soil fertility alone as its values could be influenced by exchangeable sodium. Integrated Fertility Management (IFM) approach has been suggested as ways of improving the fertility status of the soils for sustainable Shea tree cultivation in the area.