Effect of Different Tillage Practices on Production of Soya Bean - Maize (Zea mays l. - Glycine max l.) in Clay Loam of Assosa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Conservation agriculture is a newly emerging technology having significant impact on soil characteristics and crop production. Conservation tillage like no tillage had been reported to improve the properties of the soil and in turn crop production. Thus, the study had been carried out at Assosa Agricultural research center with the aim of determining the effect of different tillage methods on crop yield of both sole maize and soya bean including their intercropping. Eighteen experimental runoff plots of 8m long and 3m wide each were framed with corrugated iron sheets. The experimental design used was randomized complete block design (RCBD) with six treatment in factorial combinations vis-A -vis three cropping systems (sole maize, sole soya bean and intercropping of maize with soya bean), with tillage system (no tillage and convectional tillage), that were replicated three times.