CHAPTER THREE
3.0 MATERIALS AND METHOD
3.1 Study area
The research was conducted at
Ali-ogo Ekoli Edda in Afikpo south Local Government area of Ebonyi State,
Nigeria. The area that was used lies in the humid tropics with high rainfall
and high temperature, the mean annual rainfall of this zone for 2010 and 2011
base year was 2200mm obtained from 87 rain days with a fairly defined peak rain
period of six months from April to September.
The maximum and minimum temperature
is 32.180C and 17,40C respectively while the relative
humidity ranges from 50-87% and mean of 68.42%. The soil belongs to the order
spodic horizon and association derived from humid climate. The soil textural
class is sand loam.
3.2 Soil sampling
Within each location, a soil sample
was collected from the soil depth 0 – 30cm and bulked (composite soil sample).
The bulked soil sample was mixed up thoroughly and three representative samples
that have been collected were stored in a sample bag and labeled. Each sample
becomes a replicate. These soil samples were used to determine the soil
chemical properties after these set of samples, another soil sample was
collected with soil auger attached with core sampler at the depth of 0 – 30cm respectively,
and was used to determine the physical properties of the soil.
3.3 Laboratory
methods
The
physical parameters analyzed were:
The
bulk density was determined using the core method of Blake and Hartage method
(1986).
Total
porosity was determined using the formula stated in equation 3.
TP = 1 –
Bd x 100
-----------------------------Eqn 3
Pd 1
Where TP is total porosity, BD is bulk density
and Pd is particle density
Soil
Moisture content was determined using the gravimetric method by the formula in
equation 4
Soil
moisture = Weight of wet soil – weight of oven dried soil x 100
Weight of wet soil --------Eqn 4
Soil
hydraulic conductivity was determined using method by Landon, 1991.
Infiltration
rate was determined by the double ring infiltration method as described by
Landon, 1991.
Soil
temperature was determined using soil thermometer
Soil
texture was determined using the hydrometer method described by Bouycous
(1962).
3.4 Soil chemical properties
Organic
carbon was determined using the walkey and black method described by Nelson and
Sommers, (1982).
Organic
matter content was obtained by the equation below
Organic
matter = %OC X 1.724.
Exchangeable
cations Ca, k, Mg, and Na were extruded with ammonium acetate and their amount
in the filtrate determined by Perkins Elmer atomic absorption spectrophotometer
(A .A. S)
Exchangeable
acidity was determined by titration method according to Tel and Rao, (1982).
Nitrogen
was determined using macro-Kjehdal method (Bremmer and Mulvaney 1982).
Available
phosphorus was determined using extractant by Bray and Kurtz (1998).
Total
acidity and exchangeable bases was determined according to procedures outlined
by Tel and Rao, (1982).
Soil
pH was determined using glass electrode pH meter in water (McLean 1982).
3.5 Heavy metal accumulations
The
heavy metals were determined using the Atomic Adsorption spectrophotometer
machine (A. A. S) the following were the heavy metals that were analyzed Zn,
Bo, Fe, and Mo.
3.6 DATA ANALYSIS
Data
collected was analyzed using ANOVA and means separation acceding to F – LSD as
described by Stell and Torie, (1982).