DefinePK

Abstract

An assessment of soil erosion and all factors tangential to it is essential in soil conservation and environmental management. Soil erodibility, or the K-factor, is crucial in predicting the effects of land use and management on soil loss and thus affects every land user. The K-factor is based on permeability class, soil structure, modified silt content, and organic matter percent. Various physical and biological measures are often employed to stabilize the soils against erosion. Information of the effectiveness of the common soil management in soil erosion control is scarce in Maiduguri and environs. The effects of the common soil management practices (bare soil, conservation tillage, mulching, and compaction) on soil erodibility were studied under a simulated rainfall. The universal soil loss equation (USLE) nomogram-based K- factors for each plot were also estimated. The Soil erodibility values varied from 0.014 in mulched soils to 0.022 measured for the bare soils. The erodibility values measured from bare soil were above the nomogram-based values. Mulching and compaction demonstrated high potentials of controlling soil erosion, but due soil densification, compaction resulted into largest runoff volume, and could effect crop growth by wearing away of nutrients. The effectiveness of conservation tillage was found to rely on extent of ground cover. Mulching is thus the most recommended means of soil erosion control in the area.