Comparative studies on soil chemical properties and cashew tree growth parameters of sedimentary and basement complex soils

Abstract

Sixteen soil characteristics associated with cashew (Anacardium occidentale) tree growth parameters on
two major lithological formations in Niger State, Guinea Savanna area of Nigeria were analyzed using coefficient of
correlation and ANOVA. It was observed that differences between the mean soil parameters in the two formations
were not significantly marked, except for exchangeable sodium. The paired mean differences with LSD show
significant differences for soil pH, organic carbon, total N and available P. the significant positive correlation shown
between cashew tree growth parameters and some soil nutrients indicates that such nutrients are essential to the growth
and possibly fruits yield of cashew trees. However, there were no significant differences between the tree growth
parameters on basement complex soils and sedimentary soils.
Key Words: Cashew farming; Cashew tree growth; Soil characteristics