Author(s)

Mabel Ifeoma Onwuka^*, Uzochukwu Victor Ozurumba, Ogadimma Simonpeter Nkwocha

Department of Soil Science and Meteorology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Umuahia, Nigeria.

Soil chemical degradation caused by acidity is a serious constraint to food production in most parts of the Tropics. It was in the bid to proffer solution to this that the present study was conceived. Anincubation study was conducted at the laboratory of Soil Science and Meteorology Department of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike. The aim was to ascertain the effect of amendments namely: Control (no amendment), Biochar, Ash, Lime, Biochar + Poultry Manure, Ash + Poultry Manure and Lime + Poultry Manure, on soil pH and exchangeable acidity of Sandstone, Shale and Alluvium. The rate of application was 1.43 g for the sole amendments and 0.72 g each for the combined amendments to give an equivalent of 2 t/ha. They were applied to 100 g of the soil and replicated three times in a Completely Randomized Design. The incubation study lasted for eighty-four days, the pH and exchangeable acidity were determined at fourteen days intervals. The result obtained revealed that all the treatments increased the soil pH and decreased the exchangeable acidity over the control. In all parent materials, applied Lime and Lime + Pm significantly (p < 0.05) gave the highest pH of 6.6, 6.9 and 7.2 for Shale, Sandstone and Alluvium respectively on the 28^th day of incubation which, was the time, the maximum pH value was attained. Biochar and Biochar + Pm were considered the appropriate amendments because the pH values they gave were towards neutral, unlike that of Lime and Lime + Pm that were towards alkaline. It is recommended that field trial of this work is conducted.

Parent Materials, pH, Exchangeable Acidity and Amendments

Onwuka, M. , Ozurumba, U. and Nkwocha, O. (2016) Changes in Soil pH and Exchangeable Acidity of Selected Parent Materials as Influenced by Amendments in South East of Nigeria. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 4, 80-88. doi: 10.4236/gep.2016.45008.