Soil Organic Carbon (Soc) Content of Sugarcane Agricultural Land in Western Viti Levu, FIJI

Doreen Darshni Pillay

Abstract: The objective of the study was to determine the soil organic carbon (SOC) content of soil samples collected, from a depth of 20 cm, from the sugarcane farmers fields in western Viti Levu, Fiji. In total, 215 soil samples were analyzed for SOC using the Walkley and Black method. Carbon analysis revealed that most of the sugarcane agriculture soils were deficient in organic carbon, with contents ranging between 0.3 and 4.3, with a mean value of 1.7 and a median value of 1.5. Further data collation and classification revealed that soils from the Lautoka mill area had higher average SOC contents than those in the Rarawai mill area. This research has shown that soil organic carbon content is overwhelmingly low or very low in the agricultural sugarcane lands of western Viti Levu. An approach that incorporates green manuring may serve to increase SOC in these soils, together with legume intercropping practices, trash blanketing and usage of bio-fertilizers. Soil organic carbon plays a very significant role in controlling the availability of the nutrients in the soil.

Keywords: soil organic carbon, sugarcane, soil samples, mill, sector