SOIL QUALITY AND MAIZE YIELD AS INFLUENCED BY TILLAGE/LEGUME MANAGEMENT AND FERTILIZER RATES IN SAMARU ALFISOLS, NIGERIA

SOIL QUALITY AND MAIZE YIELD AS INFLUENCED BY TILLAGE/LEGUME MANAGEMENT AND FERTILIZER RATES IN SAMARU ALFISOLS, NIGERIA

Abstract:

This study was conducted in 2010 and 2011 cropping seasons at the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) farm, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to determine tillage/legume practice that affects soil quality most and also to develop strategies for efficient use of inorganic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers to improve maize productivity. The trial was established in 2010 and repeated in 2011 at the IAR meteorological site (11010’58”N, 7037’0”E) in the Northern Guinea Savanna ecology of Nigeria. Soils in the experimental site were classified as Typic Haplustalf (USDA) and Acrisols (FAO/UNESCO). The experiment was laid out in a split plot design and replicated three times. The main plots (255m2), consisted of three tillage practices {Conventional Tillage plus Centrosema pascuorum (CT+Cp), Conventional Tillage without Centrosema pascuorum (CT) and Permanent cover plus Centrosema pascuorum (PC+Cp)} and three Nitrogen fertilizer rates (NFR) (60, 80 and 100 kg N ha-1) while the sub plots (75m2) consisted of three Phosphorus fertilizer rates (PFR) (6.6, 13.2 and 26.4 kg P ha-1). Results show that treatment CT+Cp had least bulk density which was significantly (P≤0.05) lower than the other tillage plots. Plots that received 100 kg N ha- 1 and 13.2 kg P ha-1 had the least bulk density which was significantly (P≤0.05) better than other nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) rates at the end of the cropping season. Treatment CT+Cp resulted in a significantly (P≤0.05) higher mean weight diameter (MWD) of aggregates than the other tillage treatments. pH however decreased slightly under CT+Cp and CT and increased under PC+Cp. Differences in soil pH however, were not significant and decrease was not sufficient to hamper crop growth. Treatment CT+Cp had organic carbon content value that was significantly (P≤0.05) higher than other treatments. Plots with 100 kg N ha-1 and 26.4 kg P ha-1 gave better organic carbon contents statistically. CT had significantly (P≤0.05) higher content of available P at the ix end of trial while CT+Cp had the least. Cation Exchange Capacity was better improved statistically under PC+Cp. Treatments with 60 kg N ha-1 and 6.6 kg P ha-1 had better CEC values statistically. CT+Cp showed significant (P≤0.05) increase in maize yield over the other treatments with yield of over 3.67 t ha-1 at the end of the 2011 cropping season. Effect of decreased bulk density, increased mean weight diameter, reduced exchange acidity and improved CEC and ECEC with years would imply that soil health/quality over the years had been positively impacted upon by the management practices. However, CT+Cp at 100 kg N ha-1 and 13.2 kg P ha-1 proved superior in improving both soil health and maize productivity with a percentage rise in yield of 2.51 % over CT and 70.6 % over PC+Cp and is therefore recommended for sustainable maize production in Samaru Alfisols, Nigeria.

SOIL QUALITY AND MAIZE YIELD AS INFLUENCED BY TILLAGE/LEGUME MANAGEMENT AND FERTILIZER RATES IN SAMARU ALFISOLS, NIGERIA

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