Soil quality evaluation under different agricultural land uses using multiple soil quality indices
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60923/issn.2281-4485/24769Keywords:
Agriculture, Ecological indicators, Geochemical indicators, Land use, Soil healthAbstract
Assessing soil quality under agricultural production provides valuable information about the soil's condition and overall health. The study evaluated soil quality across different land uses (cassava, pasture, and maize) using multiple soil quality indices at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. Profiles pits were dug at each land use type and described according to WRB guidelines. Soil quality was assessed using physical, chemical, geochemical and ecological (potential ecological risk coefficient and index) indicators. Soil pH (5.60-6.68), OC (0.63-3.03%), TN (0.02-026%), and Av. P (0.76-8.75 mg/kg) showed a decreasing trend with increasing soil depth. Bulk density (1.17-1.42 g/cm3) and Fe (17.50–65.63%wt) increased with depth, while other metals fluctuated across depths and land uses. Soil quality ranged from low to moderate, with low Av. P and K being the most common limiting factors. Geochemical indicators revealed minor to moderate enrichment for most metals, with Pb (13.884) showing moderate enrichment. Contamination factors indicated low to moderate contamination for most metals, except Pb (5.647), which showed significant contamination. The geoaccumulation index classified most metals as practically uncontaminated, with Ni (0.860) and Pb (1.913) indicating slight to moderate contamination. Ecological risk assessment suggested low potential ecological risk for most metals, but a moderate risk for Pb (28.235). The study concludes that combining different indicators provides a comprehensive evaluation of soil quality, highlighting the impact of agricultural practices on soil health. Regular monitoring and sustainable soil management are recommended to maintain soil quality and mitigate risks associated with heavy metal accumulation in agricultural soils.
References
ADEBO B.O., AWETO A.O., OGEDENGBE K. (2020) Assessment of soil quality under different agricultural land use systems: a case study of the Ibadan farm settlement. International Journal of Plant and Soil Science, 32(4): 89-104. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijpss/2020/v32i430275
ADEDEJI O.H., OLAYINKA O.O., TOPE-AJAYI O.O. (2019) Spatial distribution and health risk assessment of soil pollution by heavy metals in Ijebu-Ode, Nigeria. Journal of Health and Pollution, 9(22): 1-15. https://doi.org/10.5696/2156-9614-9.22.190601
AFONNE O.J., CHUKWUKA J.U., IFEDIBA E.C., OBI, E. (2022) Pollution indices of heavy metal contaminants in typical agrarian soil samples in Ihiala, South-East Nigeria. Health and Environment, 3(1): 176-185. https://doi.org/10.25082/HE.2022.01.005
AIBONI V.U. (2001) Characteristics and classification of soils of a representative topography location in UNAAB. ASSET Series A, 1(1): 35-50.
AMACHER M.C., O’NEILL K.P., PERRY C.H. (2007) Soil Vital Signs: A New Soil Quality Index (SQI) for Assessing Forest Soil Health. Research Paper RMRS-RP-65WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 12pp. https://doi.org/10.2737.RMRS-RP-65
AMINU Z., YAKUBU M., MOHAMMED A.A., KUMAR N. (2013) Impact of land use on soil quality in Suleja, Niger State. Indian Journal of Land Science, 2(2): 1-7. ISSN: 2277-1743 (Print) ISSN: 2278-7879 (Online)
AMUNDSON R., BERHE A.A., HOPMANS J.W., OLSON C., SZTEIN A.E., SPARKS D.L. (2015) Soil science. Soil and human security in the 21st century. Science, 348(6235): 1261071. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1261071
ANDERSON J.M., INGRAM J.S.I. (1993) Tropical soil biology and fertility: a handbook of methods. CAB International, Wallingford. ISBN 0 85198 821 0.
ANU J., ANOOP P.P., RAJESH R., JOSE M., ANGEL M., ANU G. (2019) Spatial variation of trace element concentration and contamination assessment in the coral reef sediments of Lakshadweep Archipelago, Indian Ocean. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 146: 106-116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.06.003
ARIFIN A., KARAM D.S., SHAMSHUDDIN J., MAJID N.M., RADZIAH O., HAZANDY A.H., ZAHARI I. (2012) Proposing a suitable soil quality index for natural, secondary and rehabilitated tropical forests in Malaysia. African Journal of Biotechnology, 11(14): 3297-3309. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJB11.2903
ARIFIN Z., SUSILOWATI L.E., KUSUMA B.H. (2016). Perubahan indeks kualitas tanah di lahan kering akibat masukan pupuk anorganik-organik. Jurnal Agroteksos, 26(2): 1–17.
BAHRAMI A., EMADODIN I., ATASHI M.R., BORK H.R. (2010) Land use change and soil degradation: a case study, North of Iran. Agriculture and Biology Journal of North America, 1(4): 600-605. ISSN Print: 2151-7517.
BARDGETT R.D., VAN DER PUTTEN W.H. (2014).Belowground biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Nature, 515(7528): 505–511. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13855
BASIL E.C., SENJOBI B.A., OYEGOKE C.O., FABUNMI T.O. (2019). Effects of different land uses on soil quality and degradation in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Soil Science, 29: 87-101. ISSN-1597-4488
BRUSSAARD L., CARON P., CAMPBELL B., LIPPER L., MAINKA S., RABBINGE R., DIDIER D., PULLEMAN M.M. (2010) Reconciling biodiversity conservation and food security: scientific challenges for a new agriculture. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 2(1-2): 34-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2010.03.007
BUNEMANN E.K., BONGIORNO G., BAIC Z., CREAMERB R.E., DEYNB G.D., GOEDEB R.D., FLESKENSD L., GEISSEND V., KUYPERB T.W., MADERA P., PULLEMANB M., SUKKELF W/., GROENIGENB J.W.V., BRUSSAARD L. (2018) Soil quality – a critical review. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 120: 105–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.01.030
CHAUDHARI U., KUMARI D., TYAGI, T., MITTAL S., SAHOO P.K. (2024) Geochemical Signature and Risk Assessment of Potential Toxic Elements in Intensively Cultivated Soils of South-West Punjab, India. Minerals, 14: 576. https://doi.org/10.3390/min14060576
DELELEGN Y.T., PURAHONG W., BLAZEVIC A., YITAFERU B., WUBET T., GORANSSON H., GODBOLD D.L. (2017) Changes in land use alter soil quality and aggregate stability in the highlands of northern Ethiopia. Scientific Report, 7(1): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-14128-y
FAZEKAŠOVÁ D., FAZEKAŠ J. (2020) Soil quality and heavy metal pollution assessment of iron ore mines in Nizna Slana (Slovakia). Sustainability, 12(6): 2549. https://doi.org/10.3390/ su12062549
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION (FAO). (2017) The impact of land use and soil management on soil health. FAO. https://www.fao.org/3/bl813e/bl813e
GEE G., BAUDER J.W. (1986) Particle Size Analysis. In: Klute, A., Ed., Methods of Soil Analysis: Part 1 Physical and Mineralogical Methods, 2nd Edition, American Society of Agronomy, Inc., Madison, 383-411. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssabookser5.1.2ed.c15
GRUSZECKA-KOSOWSKA A., BARAN A., MAZUR-KAJTA K., CZECH T. (2019) Geochemical fractions of the agricultural soils of southern Poland and the assessment of the potentially harmful element mobility. Minerals, 9(11): 674. https://doi.org/10.3390/min9110674
GRUSZECKA-KOSOWSKA A., BARAN A., WDOWIN M., MAZUR-KAJTA K., CZECH T. (2020) The contents of the potentially harmful elements in the arable soils of southern Poland, with the assessment of ecological and health risks: a case study. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 42(2): 419–442. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-019-00372-w
GONG Q., DENG J., XIANG Y., WANG Q., YANG L. (2008) Calculating pollution indices by heavy metals in ecological geochemistry assessment and a case study in parks of Beijing. Journal of China University of Geoscience, 19: 230–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1002-0705(08)60042-4
HAKANSON L. (1980) An ecological risk index for aquatic pollution control: a sedimentological approach. Water Research, 14: 975–1001. https://doi.org/10.1016/0043-1354(80)90143-8
HERNBERG S. (2000) Lead poisoning in a historical perspective. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 38: 244-254. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/1097-0274(200009)38:3<244::AID-AJIM3>3.0.CO;2-F
HO H.H., SWENNEN R., CAPPUYNS V., VASSILIEVA E., VAN TRAN T. (2012) Necessity of normalization to aluminum to assess the contamination by heavy metals and arsenic in sediments near Haiphong Harbor, Vietnam. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 56: 229–239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2012.05.015
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE (IITA) (1982) Laboratory manual for soil and plant analysis. IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria. Manual Series, 1: 70
KABATA-PENDIAS A., MUKHERJEE A.B. (2007) Trace elements from soil to human, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, New York. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-32714-1
KARLEN D.L., HURLEY E.G., ANDREWS S.S., CAMBARDELLA C.A., MEEK D.W., DUFFY M.D., MALLARINO A.P. (2006) Crop rotation effects on soil quality at three northern corn/soybean belt locations. Agronomy Journal, 98(3): 484–495. https://doi.org/10.1016/S00167061(03)00039-9
KIANI M., HERNANDEZ‐RAMIREZ G., QUIDEAU S.A., SMITH E.G., JANZEN H.H., LARNEY F.J., PUURVEEN D. (2017) Quantifying sensitive soil quality indicators across contrasting long-term land management systems: Crop rotations and nutrient regimes. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 248: 123-135. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AGEE.2017.07.018
KIJOWSKA-STRUGALA M., BARAN A., SZARA-BAK M., WIEJACZKA L., PROKOP P. (2022) Soil quality under different agricultural land uses as evaluated by chemical, geochemical and ecological indicators in mountains with high rainfall (Darjeeling Himalayas, India). Journal of Soils and Sediments, 22: 3041–3058.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-022-03274-0
KLIMKOWICZ-PAWLAS A., MALISZEWSKA-KORDYBACH B., SMRECZAK B. (2019) Triad-based screening risk assessment of the agricultural area exposed to the long-term PAHs contamination. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 41: 1369–1385.
https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s10653-018-0220-y
KOWALSKA J.B., MAZUREK R., GĄSIOREK M., ZALESKI T. (2018) Pollution indices as useful tools for the comprehensive evaluation of the degree of soil contamination–a review. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 40: 2395–2420. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-018-0106-z
KULBAT E., SOKOŁOWSKA A. (2019) Methods of assessment of metal contamination in bottom sediments (case study: Straszyn Lake, Poland). Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 77: 605–618. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-019-00662-5
KUMAR A., CABRAL-PINTO M., KUMAR M., DINIS P.A. (2020) Estimation of risk to the eco-environment and human health of using heavy metals in the Uttarakhand Himalaya, India. Applied Sciences, 10(20): 7078. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10207078
KUMAR V., TYAGI S.K., KUMAR K., PARMAR R.S. (2023) Heavy metal-induced pollution in the environment through waste disposal. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 4(7): 1205-1210. ISSN 2582-7421
LAL R. (2015) Restoring soil quality to mitigate soil degradation. Sustainability, 7(5): 5875– 5895. https://doi.org/10.3390/su7055875
LAL R. (2020) Soil organic matter and water retention. Agronomy Journal, 112(5): 3265–3277. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20282
LEHMANN J., BOSSIO D.A., KÖGEL-KNABNER I., RILLING M.C. (2020) The concept and future prospects of soil health. Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, 1, 544–553. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0080-8
LOSKA K., WIECHULA D., BARSKA B., CEBULA E., CHOJNECKA, A. (2003) Assessment of arsenic enrichment of cultivated soils in Southern Poland. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 2: 187–192. eISSN: 2083-5906 ISSN: 1230-1485
MARTUNIS L., SUFARDI S., MUYASSIR M. (2016) Analisis indeks kualitas tanah di lahan kering Kabupaten Aceh Besar Provinsi Aceh. Jurnal Budidaya Pertanian, 12(1): 34–40. ISSN: 1858-4322
MAURYA S., ABRAHAM J.S., SOMASUNDARAM S., TOTEJA R., GUPTA R., MAKHIJA S. (2020) Indicators for assessment of soil quality: a mini-review. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 192(9): 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08556-z
MCLEAN E.O. (1965) Exchangeable acidity. In C A. Black (Ed.), Methods of soil analysis, Part 2. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI., pp.1093-1104. 35
MINASNY B., MCBRATNEY A.B. (2018) Limited effect of organic matter on soil available water capacity. European Journal of Soil Science, 69(1): 39-47. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.12475
MOHAMMAD A.M., BHASKARA RAO K., DHANAMJAYA RAO E.N., REDDY K.S.N. (2021) Major and trace elements’ concentration in recent clastic sediments from part of the eastern coast of India: an assessment of metal pollution. Environmental Earth Sciences, 80: 341. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-021-09627-1
MORGAN R.P.C. (2005) Soil erosion and conservation. 3rd ed. Blackwell Publishing. (Chapter 2: Soil Properties of Erosion). ISBN 1‐4051‐1781‐8.
MULLER G. (1981) The heavy metal pollution of the sediments of Neckars and its tributary: a stocktaking. Chemiker-Zeitung, 105: 157–164.
MURPHY J., RILEY J.P. (1962) A modified single solution method for the determination of phosphate in natural waters. Analytica Chimica Acta, 27: 31-36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0003-2670(00)88444-5
NELSON D.W. (1983) Determination of nitrogen in soil and plant tissue. In R. D. Bremner and A.M Blackmer (Eds.), Methods of soil analysis, Part 2. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI., pp.561-579.
NELSON D.W., SOMMERS L.E. (1996) Total carbon, organic carbon and organic matter. In D.L. Sparks (Eds.) Methods of soil analysis. Part 3. Chemical methods. SSSA Book Ser. 5. SSSA, Madison, WI., pp.961-1010.
NELSON L.S., LEWIN N.A., HOWLAND M.A., HOFFMAN R.S., GOLDFRANK L.R., FLOMENBAUM N.E. (2011) Goldfrank’s toxicologic emergencies, 9th edition, McGraw Hill, New York. Academic Emergency Medicine, 18(10): e85. ISBN: 978-0-07-160594-6
NGUYEN V.L. (2008) Use of GIS modelling in assessment of forestry land´s potential in Thua Thien Hue province of Central Vietnam (PhD dissertation). Germany: Göttingen University.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY (NIST). (2003). SRM 2711a: Montana II Soil Moderately Elevated Trace Element Concentrations. Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA.
OSINUGA O.A., OYEGOKE C.O. (2017) Impact of land use and agrochemicals on quality potential of wetland soils of Odeda Farm Institute, Eweje, Ogun State, Nigeria. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 6(3): 82-88. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aff.20170603.13
OSINUGA O.A., AIBONI V.U., OYEGOKE C.O. (2020) Classification and suitability evaluation of soils along a toposequence for rice production in Alabata, southwest Nigeria. Agro-Science, 19(4): 43-50. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/as.v19i4.8
OSINUGA O.A., ADEKOLA E.A., AKANDE O.O., OBRUTU I., OLUTIMI M.S. (2024) Properties and micronutrients status of hydromorphic soils overlying Ewekoro formation in Ogun State, Nigeria. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 17: 197. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-024-11999-0
OWUSU-BENNOAH E., AWADZI T.W., BOATENG E., KROGH L., BREUNING-MADSEN H., NBORGGARD O.K. (2000) Soil properties of a toposequence in the moist semideciduous forest zone of Ghana. West African Journal of Applied Ecology, 1: 1–10. https://doi.org/10.4314/wajae.v1i1.40565
OYEDELE A.O., DENTON O.A., OLAYUNGBO A.A., OGUNREWO O.M. (2014) Spatial assessment of soil quality indicators under different agricultural land uses. IOSR Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, 7(8): 41-48. https://doi.org/0.9790/2380-07814148
RACHMAN L.M. (2013) Esensi dan kebutuhan terhadap penetapan kualitas tanah. Lokakarya Nasional Dan Seminar Forum Komunikasi Perguruan Tinggi Pertanian Indonesia, 749–763.
RACHMAN L.M. (2019) Urgensi indeks kualitas tanah plus sebagai instrumen untuk penilaian dan monitoring kualitas tanah. Jakarta (Unpublished).
REYNOLDS W.D., NURSE R.E., PHILLIPS L.A., DRURY C.F., YANG X.M., PAGE E.R. (2020) Characterizing mass–volume–density–porosity relationships
in a sandy loam soil amended with compost. Canadian Journal of Soil Science, 100: 289–301. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjss-2019-0149
SALMINEN R., SPIJKER J., VIJVER M., ECKELMAN M., SELINUS O., POST-HUMA L., DE ZWART D., VAN DE MEENT D. (2013) Metals in the environment. In: Environmental risks and challenges of anthropogenic metals flows and cycles. A report of the Working Group on the Global Metal Flows to the International Resource Panel, United Nations Environment Programme, New York, 31-55pp.
SENJOBI B.A. (2007) Comparative assessment of the effect of land use and land type on soil degradation and productivity in Ogun state, Nigeria. Published Ph.D. Thesis submitted to the Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan. 161pp.
SHEN F., MAO L., SUN R., DU J., TAN Z., DING M. (2019) Contamination evaluation and source identification of heavy metals in the sediments from the Lishui River Watershed, southern China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(3): 336–351. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16030336
SOIL SURVEY STAFF. (2014). Keys to Soil Taxonomy. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. 12th edition, 372pp.
STOCKMAN U., MINASNY B., MCBRATNEY A.B. (2014) How fast does soil grow? Geoderma, 216: 48e61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.10.007
SUMMER M.E., MILLER W.P. (1996) Cation exchange capacity and exchange coefficients. In D. L. Sparks (Ed.), Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 3. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI., pp.1201-1229.
VAN WAMBEKE A.R. (1962) Criteria for classifying tropical soils by age. Journal of Soil Science, 13: 124-132.
VELDKAMP E., SCHMIDT M., POWERS J.S., CORRE M.D. (2020) Deforestation and reforestation impacts on soils in the tropics. Nature Reviews, 1(11): 590–605. https://doi.org/10. 1038/s43017-020-0091-5
VOLTR V., MENŠÍK L., HLISNIKOVSKÝ L., HRUŠKA M., POKORNÝ E., POSPÍŠILOVÁ L. (2021) The Soil Organic Matter in Connection with Soil Properties and Soil Inputs. Agronomy,11: 779. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11040779
WEIL R.R., BRADY N.C. (2017). The nature and properties of soils. 15th Edition, Pearson Education, 695-709. ISBN: 978-0133254488
WORLD REFERENCE BASE (WRB). (2022) World reference base for soil resources. International soil classification system for naming soils and creating legends for soil maps. 4th edition. International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), Vienna, Austria. 234pp.
YAQIN J., YINCHANG F., JIANHUI W., TAN Z., ZHIPENG B., CHIQING D. (2008). Using geoaccumulation index to study source profiles of soil dust in China. Journal of Environmental Science, 20(5): 571–578. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1001-0742(08)62096-3
YU P., HAN D., LIU S., WEN X., HUANG Y., JIA H. (2018) Soil quality assessment under different land uses in an alpine grassland. Catena, 171: 280-287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. catena.2018.07.021
ZHANG Y., SCHAAP M.G. (2019) Estimation of saturated hydraulic conductivity with pedotransfer functions: A Review. Journal of Hydrology, 575: 1011-1130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.05.058
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Olufemi Adewale Osinuga, Kaothar Iretomiwa Shittu, Barakat Ireyimika Adewale, Tolulope James Olaegbe, Promise Ebosetale Osoiwanlan, Oluwatobiloba Joseph Orunmuyi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
