Factors influencing soil distribution and their implication for agricultural land management in Morogoro urban District, Tanzania
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Date
2000-04
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Abstract
A standard soil and land resources survey was conducted in Morogoro Urban District, Tanzania to
investigate the factors influencing characteristics and spatial distribution of soils and their
implication for land management. Landforms, parent materials, climate, soil morphological, physicochemical
and mineralogical properties were the main attributes studied. Soils were classified
according to the FAO-World Reference Basefor Soil Resources. Six major landforms were identified
namely; strongly dissected mountain ridges, mountain foothills, hills, piedmonts, peneplains and
valleys. The strongly dissected mountain ridges comprise complex soils developed on pyroxene
granulites. The soils include shallow, excessively drained sandy clay loams and deep well drained
sandy clays and clays. The soils were classified as Lithic-Paralithic Leptosols, Hapli-Profondic
Lixisols, Orthidystri-Episkeletic Cambisols and Hypereutri-Episkeletic Cambisols (Haplic). The hills
are a complex of rock outcrops and shallow soils developed on muscovite-biotite migmatites. The
soils are excessively drained, extremely gravely sandy loams and sandy clay loams. The soils were
classified as Lithic Leptosols. The piedmonts and peneplains comprise largely associations of deep
and very deep, well drained clays and sandy clays. These soils developed on colluvium derived from
granulites and migmatites were classified as Chromi-Profondic Acrisols, Chromi-Profondic Lixisols,
Rhodi-Profondic Luvisols and Cutani-Profondic Luvisols (Haplic). In the valleys, the soils are
developed on alluvium of diverse mineralogical composition and are a complex of Calcari- and
Stagni-Mollic Fluvisols and Calcari-Salic Vertisols. All the studied soils except those of the valleys
have low soil fertility as shown by low organic carbon «1.0%), low levels of major nutrients
(nitrogen <0.1%, phosphorus <5 mg/kg) and low CEC «12.0 cmol(+)lkg soil). Although the soils of
the valleys are fertile, they are characterised by one or more of the following problems: poor
drainage condition, high alkalinity and salinity (ESP >5%) and difficult workability. The results of
this study show a close relationship between landforms, parent materials and soil types. The paper
establishes some land qualities which are important for sustainable agricultural land management in
the district.
Description
Proceedings of tbe 1st University Wide Scientific Conference, 2000; Vol 2:161 - 171
Keywords
Soil distribution, Morogoro Urban District, Agricultural land management, Land resources survey