Soil Fertility Status of Major Agricultural Areas in the Seven Municipalities of Benguet

Abstract

The major agricultural soils of the seven municipalities of Benguet namely: Bokod, Itogon, Kabayan, Kapangan, La Trinidad, Sablan and Tuba were assessed of their fertility status to develop maps reflecting the soil fertility and develop fertilizer recommendation for specific crop grown and lime requirement of the acidic soil from March 2010 to December 2011. One composite sample representing the different soil series from the seven municipalities were collected and analyzed for soil pH; organic matter (OM); soil nutrients available phosphorus (P) and exchangeable potassium (K); and cation exchange capacity (CEC).

Results show that majority of the agricultural soils in Kabayan, La Trinidad, Sablan and Tuba have strongly acidic soils unfavorable for crop production. Only the soils of Bokod, Itogon and Kapangan are moderately favorable to favorable although some sampling sites of the areas have pH values below 5.0.

Agricultural soils of Kapangan have deficient organic matter and soil nutrient phosphorus whereas soils in the municipalities of Bokod, Itogon, Kabayan, La Trinidad, Sablan and Tuba have moderate amounts of organic matter and phosphorus. Soils in Bokod, Kabayan, La Trinidad and Tuba have moderate amount of soil nutrient K while soils of Itogon, Kapangan and Sablan are deficient of the element. The cation exchange
capacity of the soils are adequate in all the soils studied in the seven municipalities of Benguet.

Based from the results of soil analysis soil fertility maps per municipality and fertilizer recommendation for specific crops grown including the lime requirement of acid soils were produced.