By Adamu, Jude Uggu
This study waa undertaken to evaluate the long
tern effects of continuous cultivation on aggregate
s t a b i l i t y , bulk denskty, porosity, Atterberg'e l i m i t s ,
and physico-chemical properties of the different
aggregate fractions. Phree s o i l s from To-hoes (Inceptisol),
Gindiri (Ultisol) and Panyam '(lintisol) i n Plateau Btate
and one s o i l from Deba ( ~ e r t i a o l )i n i3auchi S t a t e , ' 1
I
Nigeria were used f o r t h e study. I
The land use types considered were cultivated aud
forest. The s o i l s collected from 0-20 cm depth were
seperated into five agpegute fractions: 5-2, 2-1,
1-0.5, 0.5-0.25 and C 0.25 mu, and changes ia the
physico-chenical yropertieu of these aggregates due to
cultivation weL. :--!-ermined.
The aggregates i n the cultivated s o i l s were leas
stable compared to those i n t h e ' f o r e s t s o i l s . The
potential of the aggregates to disintegrate upon contact
with water was more in the cultivated than f o r e s t s o i l s
a d i n the order, Lutisol cultivated (40.3h)3 U l t i s o l
cul t iva t ed ( 3 0 . 4%)V~e r t i sol f o r e s t (22.1%)7 I n c e p t i s o l
cultivated (17.Y~) 7 U l t i s o l f o r e s t (15. Wh)p Inceptisol
forest (6.5%). The aggregates of the cultivated soila
were denser and l e s s porous than those of the, f o r e s t