Effects of Tillage and Leguminous Species on Selected Soil Physical Properties and Maize

Abstract

Optimal use of management systems including tillage and legumes cover crops is recommended to improve soil physical properties and sustain agricultural production.  Field study was carried out to evaluate the effects of tillage practices and cropping systems on soil physical properties in Ogbomoso, Southern Guinea savanna, Nigeria. The two tillage practices (as main plot) No-till (NT) and Tilled (T) were investigated under five cropping systems (CS) of sole maize (SM), sole Mucuna (SMu), sole Pueraria, maize+Mucuna and maize + Pueraria intercrop with three replications in 2013. In 2014, all the treatments were similar except Canavalia gladiata that replaced Pueraria phaseolus. Soil physical parameters determined were; bulk density, pore size distribution, saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), soil available water (SAW), soil temperature. Also, maize plant height and grain yield were determined. Data collected were analyzed by analysis of variance. The result shows that Ksat was significantly (P<0.05) 54% higher on NT > T. SAW was 11% significantly increased on NT>T in 2014. A 1.5% increase was observed in SMu plots compared with SM plots in 2013, though the treatments were similar. Soil temperature was significantly affected by tillage and CS at 6 WAS in 2013, 6 and 8 WAS in 2014.The trend is NT >T while SM > other cropping systems. There was significant interaction of tillage and cropping systems on Ksat in 2014. Maize grain yield was 39% significantly higher on T > NT in 2013. It is apparent that long term tillage and cropping systems experiment would be required to detect changes in soil physical properties as a result of the soil management practices.

Keywords: Degradation, No-till, Tillage, Soil Physical Properties, Maize