Reduced tillage practices without crop retention improved soil aggregate stability and maize (Zea mays L.) yield
Item
Title
Reduced tillage practices without crop retention improved soil aggregate stability and maize (Zea mays L.) yield
Description
Conservation agriculture has been advocated as an effective option for maintaining soil and environmental sustainability. However, the current farmer practice in Western Loess Plateau involves removal of crop residues. This study evaluated the influence of tillage systems without residue retention on soil properties and maize (Zea may L.) yield.
Creator
Lamptey, S.; Li, L.; Yeboah, S.
Date
2018
Language
English
Abstract
Conservation agriculture has been advocated as an effective option for maintaining soil and environmental sustainability. However, the current farmer practice in Western Loess Plateau involves removal of crop residues. This study evaluated the influence of tillage systems without residue retention on soil properties and maize (Zea may L.) yield. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with four (4) treatments and three (3) replicates. Treatments were; conventional tillage (CT), rotary tillage (RT), subsoiling (SS) and no–till (NT). Data was taken during 2014, 2015 and 2016 cropping season. Subsoiling and no–till treatments increased soil carbon content by 15 to 29% in the 0–10 cm depth compared with rotary tillage and conventional tillage. Mean weight diameter (MWD) of aggregates were larger under SS and NT plots relative to CT plots. Maize biomass yield with SS was the greatest (20163.93 kg ha−1), followed by NT (18896.74 kg ha−1), RT (18215.34 kg ha−1) and CT (16306.93 kg ha−1); this resulted to SS increasing biomass yield by 7, 11 and 24% compared to NT, RT and CT, respectively. Subsoiling significantly increased grain yield by 21% and 18% on average compared with CT and RT, respectively. It can be concluded that reduced tillage without residue retention improved soil aggregate, mean weight diameter, carbon and nitrogen content resulting to increased crop yield under dryland cropping systems.
Bibliographic Citation
Lamptey, S., Li, L., & Yeboah, S. (2018). Reduced tillage practices without crop retention improved soil aggregate stability and maize (Zea mays L.) yield. Ghana Journal of Horticulture (JHORT), 13(1), 66-80
Collection
Citation
Lamptey, S.; Li, L.; Yeboah, S., “Reduced tillage practices without crop retention improved soil aggregate stability and maize (Zea mays L.) yield,” CSIRSpace, accessed October 18, 2024, http://cspace.csirgh.com/items/show/2295.