Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

Vol 27, Oct Suppl. Issue, 2021; Page No.(60-75)

SOIL CHARACTERIZATION OF SELECTED PILI (CANARIUM OVATUM, ENGL.) FARMS FROM TOP PRODUCING MUNICIPALITIES IN SORSOGON, PHILIPPINES

Brian Gabriel J. Buenaobra and Ryan V. Dio

Abstract

Sorsogon province is considered as the top producer of Pili (Canarium ovatum, Engl.) fruits contributing to more than half of the country production. Believed to be indigenous in the province, the soil properties were examined to know what type of soils Pili trees naturally thrive on. Relief of the land, moisture content, soil color, soil pH, level of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium were investigated through various procedures such as ocular inspection, gravimetric method, and utilization of Munsell Color Chart and Soil Test Kit. There were 19 sampling areas selected from the Pili farms of Irosin, Bulusan, Gubat, and Prieto Diaz. A total of 38 composite soil samples were collected from topsoil and subsoil from each sampling area. The general relief of the Pili farms selected are hilly or mountainous. Moisture content ranges from 1.37% to 14.38% in the topsoils and from 7.33% to 24.37% in the subsoils. The predominant color in the topsoil is brown while for subsoil is olive brown and light olive brown at different landscape positions. The soils of the Pili Farms can be generally described as acidic. pH of 5.8 was predominant for the topsoil and subsoil regardless of landscape positions. Medium nitrogen was commonly detected in the topsoil and low nitrogen in the subsoil. Low phosphorus and sufficient potassium were all evident at both depths in all Pili farms from the four municipalities.