Determination of Selected Soil Properties for Selecting Appropriate Land Preparation Equipment in Samaru – Zaria, Nigeria

Food production for the ever growing population without damaging the soil quality, fertility and productivity is a major challenge in the present agriculture scenario. The objective of this study was to determine selected soil properties of Samaru-Zaria that would be used in tillage research in order to address the problem of inadequacy of local design data and unsuitability and inadaptability of agricultural implements used in the area. Soil samples collected from different points in the field were analyzed for moisture content, bulk density, organic matter content, texture and particle size in the laboratory for the purpose of selecting suitable agricultural machines for land preparation and profitable crop production. Results obtained showed that the soil is loam, moisture content varies from 8.40 – 15.11%, bulk density varies from 1.62 g/cm3 from the shallow soil layer to 1.77 g/cm3 at deeper depth 15 – 20 cm and beyond, down the soil profile. Similarly, organic matter varies from 4.207 % by weight at 0 – 10 cm, 1.660 % between 10 – 15 cm and 0.652 % from 15 – 20 cm depths of the soil profile. Knowledge of soil type and its properties present in the soil profile would assist the designer in selecting the appropriate materials to be used in manufacturing the land preparation equipment.