Influece of Tillage and Mulching Practices on Soil Physical Properties under Semi-Arid Environment

Abstract

Impact of tillage practices and mulching on the yield of maize crop under semi-arid environment was studied at Malakandher Farm, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar during Kharif, 2012. The experiment was laid out in factorial experiment with randomized complete block design having nine treatments, four replication and 36 plots.Three tillage practices (Cultivator 4 times followed by planking, mould board plough followed by rotavator and cultivator twice followed by planking) and three mulching levels (wheat mulch, barseem mulch and control) were used. Tillage practices were alloted to main plots and mulching levels to subplots.Tillage practices had a significant effect on bulk density (g cm^-3), moisture contents (%),soil porosity (%) and penetration resistance.Maximum bulk density at 0-20 cm depth (1.25 g cm^-3), bulk density at 21-40 cm depth (1.46 g cm^-3), moisture contents at 0-20 cm (18.50 %), moisture contents at 21-40 cm depth (17.55 %), soil porosity (49.50 %) and penetration resistance (233.35 Ncm^-2). Mulching has also a significant effect on bulk density (g cm^-3), moisture contents (%), soil porosity (%) and penetration resistance. Similarly, due to mulching practices there is a maximum bulk density of 1.29 g cm^-3 at 0-20 cm depth, a bulk density of 1.50 g cm^-3 at 21-40 cm depth, moisture contents at 0-20 cm (17.13 %), moisture contents at 21-40 cm depth (17.43 %), soil porosity (51.53 %) and penetration resistance (238.29 Ncm^-2). It was concluded that the combination of wheat straw mulch and mould board plough fallowed by rotavator were proved fruitful in improving soil physical properties under semi-arid environment.

Keywords: Tillage, Mulching, Bulk Density, Moisture Contents, Soil Porosity, Penetration Resistance