COMPACTION EFFECT ON SOIL PROPERTIES AND HYDRAULIC FUNCTIONS UNDER DIFFERENT LAND USE TYPES IN CHOBA

This study evaluated the effect of soil compaction on soil properties and hydraulic functions across three land-use types (grassland, cassava, and tree crop areas) at the University of Port Harcourt Research Farm, aiming to assess compaction's influence on soil properties, determine critical thresholds, and understand its effect on hydraulic functions. Soil samples from various depths were analyzed under two compaction levels (561.40 KJ/m³ and 935.67 KJ/m³), revealing that maximum bulk density increased significantly with compactive effort, averaging 2.03 g/cm³ at 561.40 KJ/m³ and 2.13 g/cm³ at 935.67 KJ/m³. Correspondingly, porosity decreased from 44.48 % in uncompacted soils to 23.59 % and 19.90 % at the respective compaction levels, while moisture retention at field capacity declined from 31.00 % in uncompacted soils to 17.35 % and 15.97 % for the two compactive levels. The results indicate that compaction diminishes porosity and moisture retention while increasing bulk density, with grassland and cassava areas exhibiting compaction at depth that limits water movement and root growth, while tree areas showed higher resilience at the surface due to higher organic matter content but experienced deeper compaction. The study suggests implementing sustainable land management practices, including reduced tillage and organic matter amendments, to mitigate compaction effects and maintain soil health, with future research needed to explore long-term compaction effects across different soil types to support resilient agricultural systems.