Volume 2, Issue 3, January - June, 2025

Geotechnical and chemical insights for sugarcane plantation irrigation: An environmental assessment of Bulk Water Supply area, Nigeria

Ibrahim OI¹, Akudo EO², Ibrahim BD³, Ali AY⁴, Adekunle AO⁵

¹Design and Hydrogeology units, Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Ilorin, Kwara state, Nigeria
²Geology Department, Federal University, Lokoja, Nigeria
³Chemistry Department, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
⁴Environmental Management Department, Bingham University, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
⁵Geology and Mineral Science Department, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The study aim to elucidate importance of site investigation using geotechnical and chemical inference for project feasibility. Sugarcane varieties ie hybrids respond differently to different environmental condition of soil. Exploratory pit samples were collected for the purpose of laboratory inference to enhance the integrated analyses of the Bulk Water Supply area evaluation. About 0.2g of each sample was digested in a Teflon digestion bomb using ultra-pure NHO3 and HF. An aliquote of the digestate was put on quartz sample carrier and dried under infrared lamp for Geochemical analysis. Findings revealed Shear box test of the soils revealed cohesiveness with angle of internal friction that ranged from a value of 18°-31° with shear strength (C) that varied between 2-18KN/m2.P2-LAF sample recorded a liquid limit value of 17.14%, plastic limit of 21.4% and Plasticity index of 4.96% with adequate load bearing capacities for strip, pad and circular foundation types. pH of assessed samples were moderately acidic ranging from 1.80-4.14, Electrical conductivity ranged from 18.50 to 66.0 μS/cm, Sodium Adsorption Ratio gave a value that ranged from 0.004 to 1.56. The mean porosity of the soil medium ranged from 22.05% to 34.08%. Organic carbon measurement ranged from 18.50% to 66.00% while the maximum water holding capacity of the area is said to be moderate with recorded values ranging from 21.1% to 31.5%. The study concluded that the area is non-toxic, tectonically stable and non-hazardous, thus, feasible and viable for Bulk water supply area that will serve the proposed sugarcane plantation.

Keywords: Aliquote, Montmorillonite, Plastic limit, Strip, Electrical conductivity and Bulk water

Discovery Nature, 2025, 2(3), e3dn1043

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v2i3.e3dn1043

Published: 07 February 2025