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This study analyzed the causes, effects and remedies of soil erosion. The physical
and chemical properties of some soils from vegetative land and arable land of Research and Training
farm site were studied. The physical properties of the soil evaluated include bulk density, water
holding capacity, porosity, soil moisture content, particle size analysis and infiltration rate, and
the chemical properties of the soil evaluated include soil organic carbon, soil organic matter,
Cation exchangeable capacity (exchangeable hydrogen, exchangeable potassium, exchangeable
sodium, exchangeable calcium and exchangeable magnesium), phosphorus and nitrogen. The results
of the analyses showed that vegetative land had significantly lower bulk density and significantly
higher water content, pore spaces, water holding capacity and infiltration rate than that of the
arable land. while the chemical properties showed that soil organic carbon and soil organic matter
present in vegetative land is higher than that of the arable land. Vegetative land had a higher Cation
exchangeable capacity than arable land due to the presence of more clay and organic matter in the
soil. The USLE-k factor was higher in the arable soil (0.54) than in the vegetative (0.423), indicating
the vulnerability of the arable soil to erosion. Conservation tillage is suggested as a management
practice with the inclusion of an improved drainage system in the farm.
Keywords: Erosion, Vegetative, Arable, Erodibility factor (k-factor), Vulnerability