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Relationship Between Soil Characteristics and Fertility
Implications in Two Typical Dystrandept Soils of the Cameroon
Western Highland |
D. Tsozue,
P. Tematio and P. Azinwi Tamfuh |
Abstract:
The study was undertaken to evaluate the relationships and fertility implications between Organic Carbon (OC), total nitrogen (N),
exchangeable potassium (K) and available phosphorus (P) concentrations and sand, silt and clay contents in two dystrandept profiles in
the Western Highland of Cameroon. The study was done in the field and completed by a battery of laboratory analyses. The results showed
that the two weathering profiles developed on basalt and trachyte were 4 m thick. Among the different soil fractions, sand contents were the
lowest, while silt and clay contents were high. There was no significant correlation between sand and the others soil fractions. A negative
significant correlation between silt and clay fractions on contrary was noted. Total OC amounts were very high in the humiferous horizon.
There was no significant relationship between OC and clay fractions, indicating that these two soil colloids responsible for the studied
soil fertility acted independently. The presence of kaolinite as the unique clay mineral characterized by low surface area and Cation
Exchange Capacity (CEC) compared to organic matter, implies that OC was the main source of soil fertility. There was a significant positive correlation between N and OC (r = 0.99, p <0.0001), N and sand fraction (r = 0.93, p<0.02) and between N and K (r = 0.98, p<0.04). Also,
there was a significant negative correlation between C:N and K+. Globally, amounts of K were below the critical levels. Available P exhibited a significant positive correlation with OC (r = 0.87, p<0.05) and total N (r = 0.89, p<0.05). Relationships existed among soil physicochemical
properties, which positively or negatively interfered with nutrient availability.
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How to cite this article:
D. Tsozue, P. Tematio and P. Azinwi Tamfuh, 2016. Relationship Between Soil Characteristics and Fertility
Implications in Two Typical Dystrandept Soils of the Cameroon
Western Highland. International Journal of Soil Science, 11: 36-48. DOI: 10.3923/ijss.2016.36.48 URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=ijss.2016.36.48
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