Urban Agriculture (UA) and Soil Quality and Management in Owerri, Imo State, South Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

Urban Agriculture is vital ecosystem services, offering multifunctional solution that addresses not only food security, but also broader socioeconomic and environmental goals. This study assessed the effect of urban agriculture in soil quality and management, focusing on evaluating the soil management practices of urban farmers and their effects on soil quality and food crop production, with a view to providing evidence-based recommendations for sustainable soil management and improved agricultural productivity in urban areas. It identified soil management practices employed by urban farmers, assessed soil quality used by urban farmers, investigated food crop production patterns and yields among urban farmers in Owerri, and examine the socio-economic and institutional factors influencing soil management practices in urban agriculture. The study employed mixed research design, utilizing both survey and laboratory experiment to generate and collect data.  Primary data was solely used for the study. 384 copies of questionnaire and six soil samples were collected and analyze to generate the primary data. Farmland on river banks, road sides and vacant plots were systematically sampled from both urban and suburban locations in the study area. The soil properties analyzed are the textural properties, chemical properties and heavy metal concentration in the sampled farm locations. The research identified that 50% of the farmers farm on farmlands that is less than 0.5 hectares, and 50.3%, farm on a rented land. About 47.4% of farmlands in Owerri is located on the river bank, and majority (55.5%), farm both for family consumption and for commercial purposes. There is a variation both positive and negative in the soil texture, chemical properties, and heavy metal concentration in farmlands on River banks, road sides and vacant plots in both urban and suburban farm locations in Owerri. The F value of 0.52, 0.079, 0.006 and 0.016 respectively shows that there is no interaction between urban and suburban farmers, no significant difference in soil quality across farm locations, no significant difference in soil quality in urban and suburban areas and no significant effect on soil qualities in Owerri. The correlation coefficient of 0.517 shows a strong positive relationship between  soil amendment and crop yield. farm size and type of soil amendment contributed 63.7% of crop yield in the study area. The study revealed that soil quality is a major factor affecting crop yield. The study recommends among others that urban farmers should be provided with soil testing services at low cost, training on composting and other soil amendment methods, and financial institutions like ADB and others should grant farmers loan at no or low interest rate