Assessment of soil health in uncontrolled grazing areas in the Administrative Post of Luro, Lautem, East Timor

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DOI https://doi.org/10.13057/tropdrylands/t070106
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Vol. 7 No. 1 (2023)
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Articles

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DELFIM DA COSTA ♥
1. Department of Agronomy, Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosae. Avenida Cidade de Lisboa Road, Dili, Timor-Leste. 2.Center for Climate Change and Biodiversity. Cidade de Lisboa, Dili, Timor-Leste

Abstract

Abstract. Costa DD. 2023. Assessment of soil health in uncontrolled grazing areas in the Administrative Post of Luro, Lautem, East Timor. Intl J Trop Drylands 7: 46-54. Uncontrolled grazing practices have been judged as the main cause of soil degradation in grassland areas. This study was conducted to provide baseline information on soil health in uncontrolled grazing areas in the administrative post of Luro, municipality of Lautem, East Timor (Timor Leste). Furthermore, 40 soil samples were collected from eight uncontrolled grazing areas using the core method; five points sampling per each site (four in corners and one in in the center) sampling points distances were 100 to 150 m apart, and each point represented three different soil layers (0-5 cm, 5-10 cm, and 10-20 cm). All soil samples were transported to the laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture, Universidade Nacional Timor Lororsae, East Timor. Samples preparation and analysis followed the procedure and guidelines of McKenzie et al. (2002) and Liu et al. (2019) for physical properties, while Soil Organic Matter (SOM) analysis used Loss-On-Ignition (LOI) adopted from Nakhli et al. (2019). In addition, all soil chemical properties were analyzed using Kjeldhal and Bray-1 method following the soil analysis guidelines of JICA (2014). The study showed that soil physical properties in the uncontrolled grazing areas in Luro are characterized by high bulk density, poor porosity, and low organic matter content. Furthermore, soil pH remains neutral in areas where uncontrolled grazing is practiced but with very low nitrogen and potassium levels. In contrast, phosphorus is very high in the Cotamuto and Lakawa but very low in the Afabubo areas. Furthermore, low literacy levels and livelihoods are key socioeconomic factors that directly influence uncontrolled grazing practices. Hence, promoting sustainable grazing methods among communities towards raising livestock for their livelihood is recommended.

2017-01-01

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