Paper Details

Land degradation through soil erosion which is a global threat has negatively affected the functioning of the ecosystem through various means such as provision of food. Soil erosion is one of the major causes of land degradation in Edo State particularly in Ikpoba Okha LGA. This study characterizes the soils of Iwogban catchment, a major gully erosion site, and how it has impacted home gardening which is way of maintaining household food security.Using different hydrologic and edaphic parameters such as rainfall intensity, soil erodibility and soil physical properties, the rate of land degradation within the catchment between April and November, 2023 were determined. The summary of the results show that the soil of the catchment is mainly characterized by sand (59.5%), silt (19.61%), clay (20%) and occasional gravel (1%), with the soil lyingbelow the “A line” in the plasticity index chart, based on the unified soil classification system. This indicates that the soil has a tendency to be eroded by water which is a major agent of weathering. Based on the results of the study, it is recommended that control measures such as the use of sandbags, local drainage channelization and cover crop planting can be adopted. This will help to prevent further gully expansion and loss of land that can be used for agricultural productivity in the study area. Keywords: Rainfall intensity; Soil erosion; Soil erodibility; Land degradation; Food security