CORRELATION STUDIES OF MINERAL NUTRIENTS’ CONCENTRATIONS IN SOILS AND PINEAPPLE (ANANAS COMOSUS) PLANTS IN THE SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL ZONE OF CROSS RIVER STATE

Nutrient deficiencies were observed to be the primary factor affecting pineapple ( Ananas comosus ) plants growth and development in the southern agricultural zone of Cross River State. Fields experiment were conducted to evaluate the relationships existing between mineral nqutrients in the soils and pineapple plants. Thirty - two Soil samples were collected within the experimental plots at the depth of 0-30 cm using a soil auger. Thirty- two pineapple plants of 18 months old were equally collected within the same experimental plots. Randomization method was used for soil and pineapple plants samplings. Samples were labeled and processed for soil and plant laboratory analyses. The parameters analyzed were: Total nitrogen, Available phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Their mean concentrations in the soils and pineapple plants were: 0.59 % and 1.22 g kg -1 Total N; 15.53 mg kg -1 and 0.42 g kg -1 Available P and 0.11 cmol kg -1 and 1.3 g kg -1 Potassium. Others means value were 2.86 cmol kg-1 and 0.86 g kg -1 Calcium and 0.75 cmol kg -1 and 0.52 g kg -1 Magnesium respectively. Moreover, the concentrations of other chemical properties in soils were : 0.77 % organic carbon, 4.5 of Soil p H, 0.08 of Exchangeable Sodium and 65.9 cmol Kg -1 base saturation. The results further revealed that total N , K and Mg associated positively but weakly correlated, while Calcium associated positively but strongly correlated .Available Phosphorus associated negatively but strongly correlated between the soils and pineapple plants. The levels of mineral nutrients’ concentration in the soils at the experimental plots were low, which reflected remarkable in the pineapple plants. Inorganic fertilizers such as N. P. K 15:15:15 should be cautiously applied to enhance soil nutrients’ concentration. KEYWORDS : Soils, Pineapple plants, Mineral nutrients, relationship, Correlation.