ABSTRACT
The experiment was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture Experimental Field, University Of, Benin City, to determine some chemical and physical properties of soils under maize-mucuna intercrop. The experimental plot lies between latitude 06° 23' 40.53'' - 06° 23' 53.1'' and longitude 005°37' 39.7194'' - 005° 37' 58.668''. The experiment has three (3) levels of same treatment that was replicated three (3) times in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). Soil samples were collected before and after the experiment to determine: pH, Total Organic Content, Total Nitrogen, Available Phosphorous, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Hydrogen, Sand, Silt and Clay Contents.
Results obtained showed that there was no significant difference (p<0.05) in the physical properties (sand, silt and clay) of the soil, and the chemical properties of the soil did not differ significantly (p<0.05) except pH and calcium. The nitrogen content increased from 0.820 g/kg in sole maize to 0.847 g/kg in sole mucuna beans. The available phosphorus increased from 10.50 mg/kg to 10.87 mg/kg, with sole mucuna bean havin g the highest value, while potassium increased in only sole mucuna beans with a value of 0.2067 cmol/kg. The calcium content recorded the highest and least values of 0.710 cmol/kg (sole mucuna bean) and 0.568 cmol/kg (sole maize) respectively. The intercropped plot recorded the lowest pH value of 4.752, compared with sole mucuna (5.035) and sole maize (4.890). There was a slight increase in the Values compared with that of the initial total carbon content of 10.8 g/kg. The total carbon content of the intercropped plot had the least value of 11.17 g/kg, while sole maize had the highest value of 12.45 g/kg.
