Pedological characterization and classification of soils at Solomon Mahlangu campus farm Morogoro, Tanzania

Abstract

The study was conducted in the central part of the Solomon Mahlangu Campus farm, Sokoine University of Agriculture Morogoro, Tanzania aimed at to characterize and classify the soils of the study area using the criteria of the Soil Taxonomy and World Reference Base for Soil Resources soil legend. A total of four representatives profile pits (1.5 m x 1.5 m long x 2 m deep/limiting layer) were excavated, studied, described and sampled. The profiles were coded as P1, P2, P3 and P4. Description of the soils and landforms was done comprehensively following standard procedures as outlined in the FAO (2006) guidelines for soil description. The soils were classified to family level according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy (Soil Survey Staff, 2014) and to WRB soil name- Tier 2 according to the World Reference Base for Soil Resources [IUSS Working Group WRB (2015)]. The results of this study revealed that: all the soils belong to the soil order Ultisols and Ustalfs at suborder level in the Soil Taxonomy while Alisols in the Reference Soil Group (RSG) - Tier 1 for the World Reference Base for Soil Resources soil legend. At great group and subgroup levels, P1 was classified as Rhodustults and Typic Rhodustults, P1 and P2 as Haplustults and Typic Haplustults, whereas, P4 was classified as Haplustults and Arenic Haplustults (Soil Taxonomy), which correspond to Haplic RhodicAlisols, HaplicAlisols, Haplic Chromic and HaplicAlisols (World Reference Base) in the Tier 2 for RSG soil name for P1, P2, P3 and P4, respectively.