Impact of Selected Soil Physical and Chemical Properties Regulating Phosphate Availability in Hadejia-Jama’are Wetland Soils

The objectives of this study were to examine the major soil routine parameters regulating P availability and transformation in Hadejia-Jama’are wetlands. Three wetland locations; Sinamu, Tandanu and Masama and their corresponding adjacent dryland soils as control were strategically selected. Six profile pits were dug (one each on the six research wetlands). Triplicate soil samples were collected strategically at 0-35, 35-70, 70-105 cm soil depths. The following standard laboratory procedures were used; Particle size distribution (soil organic carbon, Electrical conductivity, effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) by summation, pH, available phosphorus. The clay content of the soils manifest decrease from top to bottom except in Sinamu and Tandanu upland soils. The pH of the wetland soils varied between strongly acidic (pH 4.1) to moderately acidic (pH 5.5) while that of the drylands varied between moderately acidic (pH 5.3) to slightly acidic (pH 6.8). There is significant difference in soil solution pH and exchangeable acidity between the two land forms P = .05. The wetland have higher EA values 0.9 to 1.3 cmol(+)kg-1 compared to dryland soils 0.4 to 0.6 cmol(+)kg-1. There was a significant difference Mg2+ content between the wetlands and the drylands (P =.05). The values of Potassium ions recorded were generally very low both in the wetlands 0.010 to 0.026 cmol(+)kg-1 and the drylands 0.02 to 0.036 cmol(+)kg-1. There was significantly difference P = .05 between the wetland and dryland soils with the dryland soils having higher Ca2+ ions. The difference in effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) between the wetland and the dryland soils was statistically significant P = .05 with the dryland soils having higher ECEC values. there was significant difference in ECEC between the surface soils 0 to 35cm and the sub- surface soils 35cm up to 105 cm P = .05. The available P content of the two land forms were significantly different P = .05. Base on the findings above, the soil parameters regulating P availability and transformation in both Hadejia-Jama’are wetland and dryland soils in order of increasing magnitude are silicate clays, pH, O.C, ECEC, EA, Ca and Mg.