1*Eneje RC, 1Nwagbara C and 2U
Abstract
A study was carried out in the green house and laboratory of Soil Science and Meteorology Department in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike to compare the effect of a plant; Calapoigonium mucunoides and poultry manure at different rates (0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2%) on crude oil polluted soil. Samples were moistened to 50% field capacity water content, amended with organic materials singly and in combination in pots laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The polluted and amended soils were incubated for a total of three weeks before soil analysis, standard laboratory techniques were use to analyze the following soil chemical properties; soil pH, total nitrogen, organic carbon, available phosphorus, exchangeable cations (Na, K, Ca, and Mg). The results after pollution and amendments revealed that the 1% and 2% of the amendments applied singly or in combination enhanced chemical properties of oil polluted soil than 0.5% applied rates. The amendments applied singly or in combination increased the values obtained for soil properties such as pH from 4.85 to 6.83 pH units, total nitrogen from 0.09 to 0.13, available P from 8.73 to 31.60 mg/kg. Calapogonium mucunoides, a green manure plant better improved soil fertility indices of the polluted soil as indicated by its effects on soil reactivity (pH) and exchangeable cations; the effect was highest when combined with poultry manure.