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This article reviewed the impact of climate change on our soils and suggested measures to combat or mitigate its negative effects on sustainable soil productivity. Climate change occurs when a situation in which a change in climate continues in one direction at a rapid rate and for an unusual long period of time. The article shows that Nigerian soils have high potential of susceptibility to the impact of climate change with adverse consequences. The vulnerability of our soils to impact of climate change is associated with among other things human factors, illiteracy, low level of technology applied in crop and animal production, type of soils and inadequate climate change policy and bills. Most Nigerian soils belong to the Ultisols, Alfisols, Inceptisols, Entisols, Vertisols order of the USDA Soil taxonomy and respond to climatic change differently depending on a lot of factors including their mineralogical classes. The mineralogy of Nigerian soils is dominated by low activity clays. The impacts of climatic change on soils could be positive or adverse and devastating. Some of the identified impacts are reduction in soil biodiversity, soil erosion, excessive soil wetness, high soil temperature, depletion of soil organic pool, increased soil acidity, change in soil consistence, desertification and general decrease in the overall quality of the soil for agricultural, engineering and other land uses. Based on our local condition and environment, mitigation and adaptation measures are presented in the paper for confronting climate change problems. These methods dwell on the following-management practices to be adopted by farmers, advocated government support programmes and policies and expected roles communities as well as individuals should play in reducing the negative impact of climate change on Nigerian soils. Generally, ensuring adequate cover, changing inputs and varieties and/or species of crops , making wide use of technologies in farming, creating incentive from government and reduction in deforestation and promotion of afforestation are some of the measures recommended. Research on carbon sequestration on continued basis is also recommended.

A greenhouse study was conducted at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka to compare the effects of sole and integrated use of composted oil palm bunch waste and chemical fertilizer for improving the growth of oil palm seedlings under water stress condition. The experiment was a 3x3x4 factorial in a completely randomized design with three replications, comprising 3 factors thus irrigation intervals, NPKMg compound fertilizer and composted oil palm bunch waste. Water stress was imposed by observing irrigation intervals of 7days, 14days and 21days after irrigating the soil to field capacity. NPKMg (12:12:17:2) fertilizer was applied at 0g, 28g and 42g per seedling/polybag (based on field application rates of 0 Kg/ha, 1400 Kg/ha and 2100 Kg/ha), while the composted bunch waste was applied at 0g, 100g, 200g and 300g per seedling/polybag. Result showed that 14 days irrigation intervals gave the highest (P<0.05) effect on oil palm seedlings growth parameters compared to the 7 and 21 days intervals of irrigation. Similarly, application of 42g NPKMg fertilizer showed the highest (P>0.05) effects on growth parameters of oil palm seedlings relative to other rates of mineral fertilizers. Results also indicated that application 300gcompost/seedlings gave highest (P<0.05) effect on all growth parameters compared to other compost application rates. Interaction between the composted bunch waste, chemical fertilizer and irrigation intervals had no significant effect on all the growth parameters studied. However, combined application of 42g NPKMg compound fertilizer and 300g compost/seedlings was most effective in improving the growth of oil palm seedlings under 14 day intervals of irrigation and is therefore recommended.

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