Tillage and fertilizer effect on root distribution, water uptake and yield of maize in inland valley swamps in southwestern Nigeria

P.L Ogban,O Babalola

doi:10.4314/as.v8i2.51110

Abstract

Information on the hydraulic properties of a soil is important in understanding soil drainage, solute transport and water supply to plants, for improved agricultural production. Such information is, however, scarce for the wetlands in southwestern Nigeria. This study evaluated the effect of mound-tillage (MT), ridge-tillage (RT), and no-tillage (NT), with fertilizer (F) and without fertilizer (Fo) on root growth, water extraction and yield of maize in three representative inland valley swamps, namely, very poorly drained (AY11L), poorly drained (AY13D), and imperfectly drained (AY22R) in the Ayepe area of Southwestern Nigeria. Root growth of maize was significantly (P Keywords : Wet inland valley swamps, productive soils, tillage systems, crop production.

Highlights

Knowledge of the hydraulic properties of a soil is needed for any study of the status or movement of soil water and solutes, and in understanding water supply to plants in the field (Stone et al, 1973)
Drainage that lowers the matric potential of soil water and a tillage system that loosens the soil, improve aeration, increase the rooting depth and enable roots to proliferate and penetrate unexploited zones (Taylor and Klepper, 1978)
Experimental Site The study was conducted in three representative inland valley swamps (IVS) on the basis of watertable depth and soil taxonomic classification, namely, AYIIL, AY13D and AY22R in the 1989/90 and 1990/91 dry season (December – March) in the Ayepe area of southwestern Nigeria

Summary

Introduction

Knowledge of the hydraulic properties of a soil is needed for any study of the status or movement of soil water and solutes, and in understanding water supply to plants in the field (Stone et al, 1973). The water content in the root zone of a crop plant varies in both time and space, depending on soil factors and on the ambient meteorological conditions and rooting characteristics of the crop, including density and depth of rooting. Drainage that lowers the matric potential of soil water and a tillage system that loosens the soil, improve aeration, increase the rooting depth and enable roots to proliferate and penetrate unexploited zones (Taylor and Klepper, 1978). The works by Osuji (1984), Longsdon et al, (1987) and Rasmussen (1991) showed increased rooting with depth in tilled than in untilled soils, and that corn roots in the latter had larger diameter and were less efficient in water and nutrient uptake. The works by Osuji (1984), Longsdon et al, (1987) and Rasmussen (1991) showed increased rooting with depth in tilled than in untilled soils, and that corn roots in the latter had larger diameter and were less efficient in water and nutrient uptake. Lal et al (1989) reported that rootlength density was significantly higher in the 0-20 cm layer of tilled than untilled treatment, due to Tillage and Fertilizer Effects on Yield of Maize in Inland Valley Swamp

Methods

Results

Conclusion