Soils: Changes
.
Classification and Nomenclature
Soils Types
Soil Type Sub Type Area (Km
2
)
Andosols Leptic/Skeletic 5,751
Melanic 63
Arenosols 5,579
Calcisols 204
Ferralsols Acric 43,180
Lixic 24,392
Gleysols 24,019
Histosols 580
Leptosols 22,086
Luvisols 5,275
Nitisols 3,907
Planosols 1,735
Plinthosols Petric 35,205
Regosols Dystric 5,072
2005
Eutric 8,085
NEMA
Vertisols 19,066
Severe soil erosion on Mt. Elgon slopes in Kapchorwa District, resulting from
Table 4: Soil Types and Productivity status in Uganda
loss of vegetation cover and leading to heavy siltation of River Ngenge (2005)
Changes Classification and Nomenclature
Over the years, food production has been characterized The major criteria in soil classification are the physical
by subsistence farming. A subsistence production and chemical characteristics. Physical characteristics
system usually focuses on maximizing short term profit include factors such as parent rock, texture, structure,
which promotes consuming and depleting natural stocks location, depth, colour, and topography, while chemical
of plant nutrients. Such a farming system has resulted characteristics include pH, base composition, base
in soil fertility degradation through nutrient mining. saturation, and Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC). Going by
In the past, when Uganda’s population was still low, those criteria, 13 major classes (some with sub classes)
lost soil fertility was restored through long periods of have been identified at national level (see Table 4).
fallows. With an average land holding of about 2 ha The earlier nomenclature of soils in Uganda was based on
per household today, fallows are no longer practical. the catena system, in which units were assigned names of
Research has demonstrated that fertilizer inputs and the most prominent town or centre in the area. This Atlas
appropriate land management practices are important however uses reclassified soils based on the standard FAO
components of technology required to maintain or nomenclature.
improve soil fertility in Uganda (P. Ndeki et al).
The high productivity soils cover only 8% of the area of
Uganda. This is indeed a small area. Therefore, moderate
and fair productivity categories form the bulk of the
soils and must be effectively managed in order to sustain
Uganda’s agriculture. Furthermore, through intensive
but sustainable agricultural practices, yields on low
productivity soils can be enhanced.
45
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