Effect of Long Term Rotation, Nitrogen Fertilizer And Tillage On Soil Quality And Maize Yield In The Northern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria
Effect of Long Term Rotation, Nitrogen Fertilizer And Tillage On Soil Quality And Maize Yield In The Northern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria.
Abstract
A long-term field experiment was established in 2003 at the Institute for Agricultural Research, (I.A.R)Samaru, northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria to evaluate the effect of N fertilizer on maize grown in rotationwith maize, cowpea and soybean.
The trial was modified to accommodate tillage as an additionalexperimental factor in 2009. Ten years later (in 2013), soil and crop data were collected to determine theinfluence of the experimental factors namely; crop rotation, tillage and N fertilization on soil quality, maizegrain and stover yield.
To achieve these objectives, data were taken from the maize phase of the rotationwhere maize was grown in rotation with maize, maize in rotation with soybean and maize in rotation withcowpea, under conventional and reduced tillage, with N fertilization of 0 kg N ha-1and 90 kg N ha-1.
Thetrial was arranged in a split plot design, replicated three times, with the rotation and tillage in the main plotwhile N fertilization was in the sub-plot. Soil quality was determined using the procedure described by Parret al. (1992).
Soil quality indicators used were soil physical properties (bulk density, saturated hydraulicconductivity and moisture content), soil biological properties (urease, soil microbial biomass C and soilmicrobial biomass N) and soil chemical properties (total N. soil organic C).
The study showed that theexperimental soil was low in quality (SQ = 4) under continuous maize cultivation; however, crop rotationof soybean and cowpea improved the soil quality to moderate status (SQ = 3).
Tillage had no effect on soilquality but N fertilization improved soil quality only in the rotation involving legumes (SQ = 3). Toimprove the soil quality in the northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria over a long period of time, farmers arerecommended to practice crop rotation of maize in rotation with cowpea and maize in rotation with soybeanat 90 kg N ha-1under conventional tillage practices.
Farmers are also recommended to practice crop rotationof maize in rotation with cowpea (2,791 kg ha-1) and maize in rotation with soybean (3,262kg ha-1) underconventional tillage (3,401 kg ha-1) and the application of N fertilizer at 60 kg N ha-1 (3,564 kg ha-1) forhigher grain yield of maize in the northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria.
Table of Content
Tittle page………………………………………………………………………………………………….i
Declaration…………………………………………..…………………………………………………….ii
Certification………………………………………………………………………….………………….…iii
Acknowledgement………………………………………………………………………….………………iv
Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………….…………v
Content………………………………………………………………………………………………….….vi
List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………………………..ix
List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………………………….x
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
1.3 Justification………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
1.4 Objectives………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
CHAPTER TWO…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
2.1 Maize ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
2.1.1 Botanical description………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
2.1.2 Climatic and soil requirements of maize……………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
2.1.3 Importance of maize…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
2.2 The Northern Guinea Savanna ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
2.2.1 Cropping systems and crops of the northern Guinea savanna. ………………………………………………………………. 7
2.2.2 Maize production in the northern Guinea savanna ………………………………………………………………………………. 8
2.2.3 Problems facing maize production in the northern Guinea savanna……………………………………………………….. 8
2.3 Nitrogen Fertilization…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9
2.4 Land Management…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 10
2.4.1 Tillage……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10
2.4.2 Crop rotation …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11
2.4.3 Effect of land management systems on some soil quality indicators…………………………………………………….. 13
2.5 Concept of Soil Quality ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 16
2.5.1 Soil quality evaluation …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16
2.5.2 Soil quality indicators ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17
CHAPTER THREE……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 26
3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 26
3.1 Experimental Site………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 26
3.2 Treatment Structure and Experimental Design……………………………………………………………………………………… 26
3.3 Cultural Practices………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 28
3.3.1 Land preparation ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 28
3.3.2 Plot size ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 28
3.3.3 Sowing ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 28
3.3.4 Fertilizer application…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 28
3.3.5 Weeding and earthen up…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 29
3.4 Data Collection………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 29
3.4.1 Plant height (cm) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 29
3.4.2 Number of leaves per plant……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 29
3.4.3 Leaf width……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 29
3.4.4 Leaf length………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 29
3.4.5 Leaf area (LA) cm2 plant-1………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 30
3.4.6 Dry matter yield of maize…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 30
3.5 Harvesting………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 30
3.6 Grain Yield ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 30
3.6.1 100 grain weight (g)………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 30
3.6.2 Grain Yield (kg/ha)………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 31
3.7 Soil sampling…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 31
3.8 Physical and Chemical Characterization of the Soil………………………………………………………………………………… 31
3.8.1 Measurement of soil physical properties…………………………………………………………………………………………… 31
3.8.2 Measurement of soil chemical properties …………………………………………………………………………………………. 33
3.8.3 Measurement of soil biological properties ………………………………………………………………………………………… 35
3.9 Soil Quality Determination …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 37
3.9.1. Selection of minimum data set (Indicators)………………………………………………………………………………………. 37
3.9.2 Interpretation of indicators……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 37
3.9.3 Soil Quality Index……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 37
3.10 Statistical Analyses………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 39
CHAPTER FOUR………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 40
4.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 40
4.1 Growth Parameters…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 40
4.1.1 Plant height …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 40
4.1.2 Leaf area (LA) per plant …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 42
4.2 Yield Parameters……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 46
4.2.1 100 Grain weight (g)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 46
4.2.2 Grain yield (kg/ha)………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 48
4.3 Soil Physical Properties………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 51
4.3.1 Effect on particle size distribution…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 51
4.3.2 Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks)………………………………………………………………………………………………… 51
4.3.3 Bulk density …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 53
4.3.4 Moisture content……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 56
4.4 Soil Chemical Properties…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 56
4.4.1 Total nitrogen (g kg-1) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 56
4.4.2 Soil organic carbon (g/kg)………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 64
4.5 Soil Biological Properties……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 66
4.5.1 Urease Activity μgmL-1hr-1……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 66
4.5.2 Soil microbial biomass carbon………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 68
4.5.3 Soil microbial biomass nitrogen (SMBN)……………………………………………………………………………………………. 72
4.6 Soil Quality……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 74
4.6.1 Total soil quality assessment……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 74
4.6.2 Overall effect of crop Rotation, tillage and nitrogen rates on soil quality………………………………………………. 74
4.6.3 Effect of continuous maize cultivation, tillage and nitrogen rate on soil quality in relation to soil depth…… 78
4.6.4 Effect of maize – cowpea rotation, tillage and nitrogen rates on soil quality in relation to soil depth……….. 78
4.6.5 Effect of maize in rotation with soybean cultivation, tillage and nitrogen rates on soil quality in relation tosoil depth……………………………… 79
4.7 Correlation of Crop Rotation, Tillage and Nitrogen Rate on Soil Quality …………………………………………………… 86
4.7.1 Correlation of grain yield and soil properties at 0 – 5 cm soil depth ……………………………………………………… 86
4.7.2 Correlation of grain yield and soil properties at 5 – 15 cm soil depth ……………………………………………………. 89
4.7.3 Correlation of grain yield and soil properties at 15 – 25 cm soil depth………………………………………………….. 91
4.7.4 Correlation of grain yield and mean soil depth of soil properties …………………………………………………………. 93
CHAPTER FIVE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 96
5.0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 96
5.1 Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 96
REFERENCES ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 99
Introduction
Long-term field experiments are expected to provide important information regarding soil properties asaffected by cropping system and soil management practices.
Legumes such as cowpea and soybean addboth organic matter and nitrogen (N) to the soil (Omay et al., 1997; Sainju et al., 2003) and increase soilfertility. Maize is the second most essential cereal crop after sorghum in sub-Saharan Africa; it is grownmuch more intensively than it was estimated since 1985 (FAO, 1999).
In Nigeria, maize yield averagesabout 1.4 tons per hectare and this is only about 20% of the average in Canada and other parts of theworld where intensive cereal production is carried out (Afolami and Fawole, 1991; FAO, 1999).
Studieshave shown that legume-cereal rotation produce relatively higher grain yields than either crop grownalone (Rao and Mathuva, 2000; Olufemi et al., 2001; Mpairwe et al., 2002; Dapaah et al., 2003).
Rotating maize with grain legumes is often targeted towards utilizing biologically fixed-nitrogen bylegumes for the benefit of the maize (Yusuf et al., 2009).
Nitrogen fertilizers are most effectively usedas part of a balanced fertilization plan that aims to maximize economic return of a cereal–legume rotationsystem; Nitrogen fertilizer, apart from increasing the content of nitrate in soil that leads to its leaching(Porter et al., 1996), results in changes in soil pH and many other soil properties (Brady and Weil, 2002).
Long-term field experiments with N fertilization can give valuable information about how those changesoccur and indicate the trends of the changes (Dragan et al., 2010).
Nitrogen (N) is most often the yield limiting nutrient with respect to crop production (Factsheet, 2014).Nitrogen contributes firstly to grain yield and forage biomass production, and at the same time to protein(Eche, 2011).
Nitrogen is essential for seed formation and maturity. A steady supply is needed duringthe early growth stage and this steady supply can be provided by the action of soil microorganisms onthe soil organic matter (SOM) or by application of inorganic fertilizers (Eche, 2011).
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CSN Team.
