Research Article

Soil Mineralogical Characterization of Selected Carmine Alfisols and Plinthic Inceptisols of Funtua, Nigeria

Abdulrashid Shobayo Babatunde1*, Sulaiman Yau Lawan1, Odunze Azubuike Chidowe2
1 Ahmadu Bello University
2 Department of Soil Science/IAR, Faculty of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
* Corresponding author: abshobayo@yahoo.com
Published: Apr, 2019
DOI: 10.67042/njss.2019.0vbquzp9
Pages: 127-135
Views: 503
Downloads: 644
Cited by: 1

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize the mineralogical properties of soils formed over a basement complex parent material in the Northern Guinea Savanna agro-ecology of Nigeria. The selected study site was in Funtua, Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State, Nigeria. Soil boundaries were delineated, and three soil individuals were identified, namely, Soil-map-unit-red-deep (SMURD) which covered extensive part of the study area occupying 1755.17 ha (66.50 %), soil-map-unit-plinthic-shallow-1 (SMUPS1) occupying 708.70 ha (26.85 %), and soil-map-unit-plinthic-shallow-2 (SMUPS2) occupying 175.60 ha (6.65 %). On each soil individual, a pedon was sited, described, and sampled from genetic horizons. Soil samples collected were prepared and subjected to laboratory mineralogical analysis with the employment of x-ray diffractometer to determine the dominant clay-sized minerals present in the soils. Evaluation of the soil individuals indicate SMURD as very deep (>150 cm) and well-drained, SMUPS1 was shallow (25 - 50 cm) well-drained, and SMUPS2 was well-drained and had a moderate depth of soil materials (71 - 80 cm). It was observed that the soil individuals had mixed mineralogy, which was associated with different rock types and minerals constituting the Basement Complex. The soils were formed under uniform climatic conditions and expected to have undergone a similar rate of weathering. The wide variation in mineral composition of the soils as was attributed to the basement complex characteristics however gave two dominant clay-sized minerals: Kaolinites (and its polymorphs - dickite, clinochrysotile, greenalite) and zeolites.

Keywords

175.60 ha (6.65 %). on each soil individual a pedon was sited described and

References

  1. Abaje, I. B., Abdullahi, N. and Jeje, O.G. (2016). Climate change and infectious diseases in Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State, Nigeria. International Journal of Science and Technology (STECH), 5(1): 47-58.
  2. Brady, N.C. and Weil, R.C. (2013). The nature and properties of soils. 14th edition, published by Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall, copyright 2008, second impression 2013, pp 53, 840-872.
  3. Brookins, D.G. (1988). Eh-pH Diagrams for Geochemistry. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 288pp.
  4. Deng, Y., White, G.N., and Dixon, J.B. (2009). Soil mineralogy laboratory manual. 11th edition. Published by the authors, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843 -2474.
  5. Esu, I.E. (1987). Fertility status and management of some upland basement complex soils in the Nigeria tropical savanna region. Nigerian Journal of Soil Science. 7: 155-183.
  6. Gee, G.W., and Or, D. (2002). Particle size analysis. In: Dane, J.H., and Topp, G.C. (eds). Methods of soil analysis, part 4. Physical methods. Soil Science Society of America. Book series. No. 5 Amer. ca Society Agronomy and Soil Science Society of America, Madison, W1, pp 255-293.
  7. Gold, C. M., Cavell, P. A., and Smith, D. G.W. (1983) Clay minerals in mixtures: Sample preparation, analysis, and statistical interpretation: Clays and Clay Minerals, 31: 191-199.
  8. Hseu, Z.Y., Tsai, H., Hsi, H.C., and Chen, Y.C. (2007). Weathering sequences of clay minerals in soils along a serpentinite toposequence. Clays and Clay Minerals, 55:389-401.
  9. Kamau, M.N. (2013). Characterization of soil mineralogy in relation to soil fertility functional properties for selected countries in Africa. Unpublished M.Sc. Thesis, Department of Agricultural Resource Management, School of Agriculture and Enterprise Development, Kenyatta University.
  10. Katsina Diary (1989). The Diary of Katsina Sate, Nigeria. Government Printers, Katsina.
  11. Kunze, G.W., and Dixon, J.B. (1986). Pretreatment and Mineralogical analysis. In: Klute (eds). Methods of soil analysis, Part 1: Physical and Mineralogical Methods. 2nd Ed. ASA, SSSA. Madison, WI. 91-100p.
  12. Maiyunda, L.M. (2012). Pedogenesis of a Lithosequencein the northern guinea savanna of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Unpublished Ph. D Thesis. Dept. of Soil Science, ABU, Zaria.
  13. McCurry, P. (1976). The geology of the Precambrian to lower Paleozoic rocks of Northern Nigeria – A review. In. Kogbe, C. A. (ed.). Geology of Nigeria. Elizabethan Publishing Company, Lagos. Pp 15- 40.
  14. Moormann, F.R., Lal, R., and Juo, A.S.R. (1975). The soils of IITA. International Institute for Tropical Agriculture. Technical Bulletin 2: 43pp.
  15. Muggler, C.C., Buurman, P., and van Doesburg, J.D.J. (2007). Weathering trends and material characteristics of polygenetic Oxisols from Minas Gerais, Brazil. 1. Mineralogy. Geoderma 136 (1-2):39-48.
  16. Niranjane, S.J., Gaikwad, S.T., Gajbhiye, K.S., and Thayalan, S. (2005). Clay minerals composition in some soils of the eastern part of Maharashtra. Clay Research 24 (2).
  17. Ojanuga, A.G. (1975). Morphological, physical and chemical characteristics of soils of Ife and Ondo areas. Nigeria Journal of Soil Science, 9: 225-269.
  18. Olaniyan, I.O., Agunwamba, J.C., and Ademiluyi, J.O. (2010). Lithologic characteristics of parts of the crystalline basement complex of northern Nigeria in relation to groundwater exploitation. ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Vol. 5 (7): 56 - 60.
  19. Soil Science Division Staff (2017). Soil survey manual. C. Ditzler, K. Scheffe, and H.C. Monger (eds.). USDA Handbook 18. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
  20. Velde, B. (1985). Clay Minerals: A Physico-chemical explanation of their occurrence. Elsevier, Amsterdam. Pp. 38-43.

Cited By (1)

Works that cite this article, via Crossref Cited-by.

  1. Morphological and Mineralogical Evidence to Understand Plinthite in Kamuli District, Uganda . Soil Systems (2026) . https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems10070069
How to Cite

Babatunde, A. S., Lawan, S. Y., & Chidowe, O. A. (2019). Soil Mineralogical Characterization of Selected Carmine Alfisols and Plinthic Inceptisols of Funtua, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Soil Science, 29(1), 127-135. https://doi.org/10.67042/njss.2019.0vbquzp9

A. S. Babatunde, S. Y. Lawan, and O. A. Chidowe, "Soil Mineralogical Characterization of Selected Carmine Alfisols and Plinthic Inceptisols of Funtua, Nigeria," Nigerian Journal of Soil Science, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 127-135, April 2019. doi: 10.67042/njss.2019.0vbquzp9

Share this article:
Facebook X / Twitter LinkedIn
Download PDF Back to Articles