Characteristics of Soils of Iwogban Gully in Edo State and their Implications for Household Food Security
Volume 10, Issue12 (11 - 2024)
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Abstract
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