Investigating the Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Latosols Soil and its Influence on Plant Growth in Suakoko, Bong County

In recent times, the evaluation of the fertility status in the Liberian soils has mostly focused on determining soil to plant nutrients characteristics and leaving the Chemical and Physical properties unknown to farmers in the Country. Soil chemical and physical characteristics are important in agriculture crop production, as it gives detailed information on the type of soil to farm on for optimum yield and income generation for farmers. Many farmers in Liberia do not know the require soil property when growing their crops; as a result, there are low yield in many famer’s field in the region.

The Soils of Liberia are marked by intense surface leaching, strong acidity, low soil organic matter (SOM) content, and low nutrients status, which are limiting factors to crop production in the Suakoko belt where the tested Soils were collected. These factors have adverse effects on crop production, thus increasing food insecurity in the region. The objective of this current study was to investigate the Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Latosol/Utisols and its influence on plant growth in Suakoko, Bong County, and Central Liberia.

Composite surface (0-25 cm depth) samples of four Latosols at different locations in Suakoko District label as (N001, Harris Farm; N002, CARI (Cacao seed garden); N003, CARI (Rice Field); N004, CARI (Root and Tuber crops Gene Bank)) were collected and analyzed for Physical and Chemical parameters and factors by standard laboratory procedures. The results from these current studies shows that, the studied soils are sandy clayey; very acidic with poor (SOC).