Abstract
In Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan Countries of Africa, erosion is pervasive and major source for loss of soil and productivity. This has necessitated continued search for appropriate soil management technologies to ensure sustained and profitable crop production. An experiment was carried out using maize (Zea mays L.) to evaluate organic carbon dynamics and changes in some physical properties of soil and grain yield of maize under conservative tillage practices on an ultisol in Southeastern Nigeria. The study consisted of three conservative tillage practices which were laid out in the field using randomized complete block design replicated seven times. Data were analyzed using statistical analysis for agricultural science. Results showed that tillage reduced seedlings emergence by 5 days compared to zero tillage. Highest grain yield of maize, significantly higher by 4 and 20% was obtained in deep tilled plot when compared to yields in shallow and zero tilled plots. Deep tilled plot had 2-9% significantly lower bulk density and 20-36, 1-8 and 27-55% higher total porosity, gravimetric moisture content and saturated hydraulic conductivity when compared to shallow tilled and zero tilled plots. Deep tilled plot had 15 and 55% significantly organic carbon when compared to their counterparts in shallow and zero tilled plots. Conservative tillage practices are recommended for sustainable and profitable production of maize crop in Nigeria. Key words: Edaphic, grain yield, organic carbon, soil properties, tillage practices.
Highlights
Abakaliki of Southeastern Nigeria is predominantly agrarian
There were three treatments which consisted of Zero tillage (ZT), shallow tillage (ST) and deep tillage (DT)
There were significant differences in grain yields of maize among the different tillage practices. These results show that tillage practices influenced grain yields of maize
Summary
Abakaliki of Southeastern Nigeria is predominantly agrarian. The farmers in the area grow intensively stapple food crops which range from cereals to tubers. Since soils in southeastern part of Nigeria is sandy and deficit in organic carbon (Ohiri and Ano, 2012), there is need to intensify studies into acceptable management practices to stabilize and improve condition of the soil, their fertility and productivity (Mbah and Nneji, 2010) especially as management strategies have many effect on organic carbon content of soil (Ojeniyi and Ighomrore, 2004). In this part of the country, farmers engage in conventional tillage practices; which involves raised heaps as means of preparation of their soil for crop production. This necessitated the research aimed to study organic carbon dynamics and changes in some physical properties of soil and grain yield of maize (Z. mays L.) under different conservative tillage practices
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