SOIL FERTILITY STATUS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY IN OKEOSE, ILORIN EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KWARA STATE

Fertility status of soil samples from OkoOse in Ilorin East LGA of Kwara State were evaluated in this study using twenty soil samples collected at 0 – 20 cm depth and analysed in the laboratory. Mean and Analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to summarize the data and to compare the means respectively. Findings revealed that the Physico-Chemical properties analysis showed mean values for pH, Potassium, Sodium, Electric Conductivity, Organic matter, and Organic carbon of 6.77, 0.38 (cmol/kg), 0.10 (cmol/kg), 11.90 (dS/cm), 1.00(%), and 0.58 (%)respectively The mean values of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Calcium, Magnesium, Exchangeable acidity and Effective Cation Exchange Capacity (ECEC)were 0.12 (%), 72.72 (ppm), 1.15 (cmol/kg)1.45 (cmol/kg), 0.32 (cmol/kg) and 3.40 (cmol/kg) respectively. The results further reveal that the values of pH, Organic carbon, Nitrogen, Sodium, Calcium, and Magnesium are within the recommended values by the International Agriculture Soil Standard while values of Organic Matter, Available Phosphorus, Potassium, Exchangeable acidity and Effective Cation Exchange Capacity (ECEC) are below the recommended values. However, value of Electrical Conductivity is above the recommended values. In term of textural class, the percentage of sand, silt and clay were 89, 7.00 and 4.00 respectively. This implies that the soil in the area is generally sand soil. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that there is no significant different in the mean values of the identified parameters. This infers, therefore, that there is no significant difference in the fertility of soil in the area. Generally, the results show that the soil in the area is fertile and good for arable agriculture; especially for planting of cereal crops. The research thus recommends that farmers in the study area should consider planting of crops like maize and guinea-corn. In addition, farmers in the area should consider the use of fertilize to supplement the nutrients that were found to be below the recommended values.