EFFECT OF LONG TERM ROTATION, NITROGEN FERTILIZER AND TILLAGE ON SOIL QUALITY AND MAIZE YIELD IN THE NORTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA OF NIGERIA
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Department of Agricultural Science
ABSTRACT
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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 rotation with maize, cowpea and soybean. The trial was modified to accommodate tillage as an additional experimental factor in 2009. Ten years later (in 2013), soil and crop data were collected to determine the influence of the experimental factors namely; crop rotation, tillage and N fertilization on soil quality, maize grain and stover yield. To achieve these objectives, data were taken from the maize phase of the rotation where maize was grown in rotation with maize, maize in rotation with soybean and maize in rotation with cowpea, under conventional and reduced tillage, with N fertilization of 0 kg N ha-1 and 90 kg N ha-1. The trial was arranged in a split plot design, replicated three times, with the rotation and tillage in the main plot while N fertilization was in the sub-plot. Soil quality was determined using the procedure described by Parr et al. (1992). Soil quality indicators used were soil physical properties (bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity and moisture content), soil biological properties (urease, soil microbial biomass C and soil microbial biomass N) and soil chemical properties (total N. soil organic C). The study showed that the experimental soil was low in quality (SQ = 4) under continuous maize cultivation; however, crop rotation of soybean and cowpea improved the soil quality to moderate status (SQ = 3). Tillage had no effect on soil quality but N fertilization improved soil quality only in the rotation involving legumes (SQ = 3). To improve the soil quality in the northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria over a long period of time, farmers are recommended to practice crop rotation of maize in rotation with cowpea and maize in rotation with soybean at 90 kg N ha-1 under conventional tillage practices. Farmers are also recommended to practice crop rotation of maize in rotation with cowpea (2,791 kg ha-1) and maize in rotation with soybean (3,262kg ha-1) under conventional tillage (3,401 kg ha-1) and the application of N fertilizer at 60 kg N ha-1 (3,564 kg ha-1) for higher grain yield of maize in the northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria.
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