Assessment of Physicochemical Properties of Soils Around Fruit Garden Market in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

The concentrations of the different physicochemical properties in soils around fruit garden market in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria was evaluated. The different physicochemical parameters were determined using conventional laboratory procedures. The mean values obtained for physicochemical parameters studied within the stations during the time of research were in the range; pH; 7.28±0.03-7.44±0.02, electrical conductivity; 737.546±3.949-757.248±3.607 µS/cm,  particle size analysis were silt, 10.18±0.14-10.34±0.04%, sand; 81.83±0.94-83.40±0.33%, and clay, 6.42±0.33-7.86±0.79 with a textural class of loamy soil, % organic carbon; 4.877±0.03-5.089±0.02%, %organic matter; 8.456±0.14-8.774±0.04%, total nitrogen; 0.235±0.01-0.284±0.01mg/Kg, nitrates1.183±0.13-1.253±0.04mg/Kg, total phosphorus; 2.994±0.02-3.436±0.16mg/Kg, phosphates; 9.246±0.11-9.476±0.15mg/Kg, chlorides; 112.376±1.29-122.676±1.33mg/Kg and salinity; 182.965±1.01-189.056±1.56mg/Kg. The concentrations of the physicochemical properties recorded in the different locations of the fruit garden market were either above or below the levels allowed by regulatory bodies for soils subject to the minimum or maximum limit allowed for such parameter in the soil. The recorded results therefore indicated that the human activities had remarkable influence on the physicochemical properties of the soils within the environment used for fruit garden.