Infertile and less productive soil due to continuous cropping, poor soil management and other forms of land exploitation are mostly amended using inorganic fertiliser. Shea waste slurry (SWS) as an organic soil amendment material was applied to soils in two locations and its effect on plant primary and secondary nutrients evaluated. One-way diagonal method was employed in sampling soil from fields measuring 25 m×40 m at depths of 0-30 and 30-60 cm for SWS applied and non-applied soils. Results showed increased pH resulting from SWS application and EC increasing from 41.15±3.89 to 155.5±83.4 µS/cm in both locations. SWS application also increased %N levels at depth of 0-30 cm from 0.03±0.0 to 0.56±0.2%, concentration of P increased from 3.47±0.62 to 262.0±176 mg/kg and K from 21.9±2.39 to 231.6±98 mg/kg. Na levels increased from a low of 0.46±0.09 to a maximum of 2.81±1.0 meq/100 g in both study sites, Mg increased from 0.80±0.3 to 8.51±4.86 meq/100 g whilst Ca increased from 1.6±0.07 to 6.3±098 meq/100 g for the depth of 0-30 cm. Soil %OM and OC, respectively increased from 0.58±0.01 to 10.94±3.95 and 0.34±0.11 to 6.36 ±2.29% for the depth of 0 to 30 cm in both study locations. The study indicated a general increase in the levels of all the parameters analysed for the study at the SWS applied soils as compared to the non-applied soils. The use of SWS as a soil nutrient amendment in crop production as an organic material was observed to be very effective.

This study analyzed the effect of different water sources of irrigation on the chemical constituents of soils in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana. Soil samples were taken from depths of 0 – 30 cm and 30 – 60 cm in wastewater, pipe water and non-irrigated (control) sites. Variations in levels of concentration of the various chemical properties, however, occurred among the three different soils. With the exception of % N and Mg, there was no significant difference among all the three soils for all the parameters. The results indicated that N level increased in wastewater irrigated soils as compared to pipe water and non-irrigated soils. P increased with wastewater irrigation but decreased with soil depth. K concentration in wastewater irrigated soils increased in the depth of 0 – 30 cm but decreased in the depth of 30 – 60 cm. Wastewater and pipe water irrigation decreased soil Na and Cl levels compared to the control (non-irrigated soils). Wastewater irrigation increased the level of EC and CEC whilst Cu, Zn and Cd levels increased with soil depth. Cu, Zn and Cd levels of the wastewater, pipe water and non-irrigated soils were higher than the FAO (1985) recommended levels for both depths. It can be concluded that irrigation with wastewater increased soil primary macro nutrients (NPK) whilst micro nutrients such as sodium and chloride decreased with wastewater and pipe water irrigation.