Impacts of Conventional Plowing on The Bearing Capacity of Ferralitic Soil in Benin Republic

Abstract

The present work involved a study of the impact of tillage on soil resistance using a three-body disc plow hitched to a 60 hp tractor, on soil structure. All plowing was carried out on the same day with this plow on 21 plots, divided into 3 blocks of 7 elementary plots serving as treatments. Treatments are designated P0. P1, P2, P4, P8, P12, and P15 corresponding to plowing frequencies: 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 15. The P0 treatment is used as a control. The tests were carried out in accordance with the standards: NF P 94-050.1995, for water content by weight, NF EN 1097-3.1998, for apparent density, and NF EN 1097-6.2001 for porosity. Soil conductivity was determined using the Muntz method. The results show that plowing at a minimum frequency of one or two per cycle provides better soil resistance. Two plowings per cycle gave better soil resistance (20.8 (0.27) bc; 19.6 (0.27) d), water content (0.016 (0.002) b ; 0.015 (0.002) b). Soil hardness and density decrease with increasing water content, while porosity increases with plowing frequency (0.437 (0.017) a to 0.478 (0.017) a). For this type of soil, one or two plowings are more than enough to maintain better soil resistance and water conservation. This work has enabled rural actors, and farm machinery operators in particular, to better carry out tillage operations. Keywords: Agricultural soil, soil tillage, mechanical properties, penetration resistance, Benin Republic.