MICRONUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL SOILS: A STUDY OF MUBI AREA, NORTHEASTERN NIGERIA
Abstract
<p>The present study determined the micronutrients concentration of some selected farmlands in Mubi area, North-eastern Nigeria. The results revealed that the micronutrients were moderate to high with Fe had the highest content while the Cu had the lowest. The trend of the concentrations in the studied soils were in order of Fe > Pb > Mn > Zn > Cu at surface layer (0-20 cm) while at subsurface layer (20-30 cm) Fe > Mn > Pb > Zn > Cu with the corresponding values ranged from Fe (17.80-17.84 mg /kg), Mn (3.87-5.22 mg/kg), Pb (3.82-5.37 mg/kg), Zn (1.42-2.18 mg /kg) Cu (0.63-0.93 mg /kg) respectively. It is therefore recommended that regular monitoring and evaluation of micronutrients concentrations of soils need to be adopted planting operations in order to ensure safety of agricultural products for consumption. Also government needs to enforce regulations on indiscriminate dumping of industrial, domestic and agricultural waste for sustainable environmental management and agricultural production.</p>