Transnational Journal of Science and Technology September 2013 edition vol.3, No.9 ISSN

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1 IMPACT OF DIFFERENT TILLAGE PRACTICES ON SOIL MOISTURE CONTENT, SOIL BULK DENSITY AND SOIL PENETRATION RESISTANCE IN OYO METROPOLIS, OYO STATE, NIGERIA. Gbadamosi, J. Department of Agricultural Education (Agricultural Engineering Division), School of Technical Education, Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, P.M.B 1010, Oyo. Oyo State. Nigeria. Abstract: The impact of different tillage practices on soil moisture content, soil bulk density and soil penetration resistance were determined in Oyo metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria. These are physical and mechanical properties of soil with the tillage treatments were moldboard plow followed by two passes of disk harrow (MDD) as conventional tillage, two passes of disk harrow (DD) as reduced tillage, one pass of disk harrow (D) as minimum tillage and nontillage area (NT). There are significant (P<0.05) differences between the tillage treatment and among soil moisture content (SMC), soil bulk density (SBD) and soil penetration resistance (SPR). SMC had highest value of 21.67% with the least value of 14.67% for MDD and NT respectively. However, SBD values were highest (1.82gcm -3 ) and lowest (1.67 gcm -3 ) for NT and MDD treatments. The SPR value was favoured at NT (1123kPa) with the least value of 490kPa for MDD. The study also reveals the relationship and rainfall and the temperature of the experimental plot and soil chemical properties. It can be concluded that conventional tillage method was found to be more good in improving the soil physical and mechanical properties of the soil in this part of Oyo metropolis of Nigeria with a sandy-loam soil. Keywords: Conventional Tillage, Soil moisture content, Soil bulk density, Soil penetration resistance, soil, Oyo Metropolis INTRODUCTION The tillage of soil is considered to be one of the biggest farm operations as it requires the most energy on the farm. Disc plough is widely used in Oyo State Nigeria by farmer as 50

2 primary tillage tool. Ploughing operation is the mechanical manipulation of the soil aimed at improving soil conditions for crop production. It represents the most costly single item in the budget of an arable farmer. High levels of energy is required to cut and invert the soil, and the draft force required to plough also needs relatively high weight to give traction. (Adewuyi et al, 2006). The depth of ploughing depends on the crop to be cultivated, soil characteristics and also on the source of power available (Pandey, 2004). Soil tillage is among the important factors affecting soil physical and mechanical properties (Khurshid et al., 2006). Tillage method affect the sustainable use of soil resources through its influence on soil properties (Hammel, 1989). The proper use of tillage can improve soil related constrains, while processes, e.g. destruction of soil structure, accelerated erosion and depletion of organic matter and fertility (Lal, 1993). Use of excessive and unnecessary tillage operations is properties of soil. Therefore, currently there is a significance interest and emphasis on the shift to the conservation and no- tillage methods (Iqbal et al., 2005). Conventional tillage practices modify soil structure by changing its physical and mechanical properties such moisture content, bulk density and penetration resistance. Annual disturbance and pulverizing caused by conventional tillage produces a finer and loose soil structure as compared to conservation and no-tillage methods which leave the soil intact (Rashidi and Keshavarzpour, 2007). This difference results in a change of number, shape, continuity and size distribution of the pores network, which controls the ability of soil to store and transmit air, water and agricultural chemicals. This in turn controls erosion, runoff and crop performance (Khan et al., 2001). In Nigeria, agricultural mechanization is one of the greatest contributions of technological advancements to agricultural production. The appropriate choice and subsequent proper use of mechanized inputs into agriculture has a direct and significant effect on the achievable levels of land productivity, labour productivity, the profitability of farming, the environment and the quality of life of people engaged in agriculture. Government at all levels considered acquisition and subsequent distribution of farming equipment especially tractors as a significant action that improves agricultural production, yet, no commensurable attention has been devoted to performance management of these equipments with respect to adequacy, appropriateness, economic efficiency and sustainability (Cecil et al., 2002). Currently, different tillage methods are being used in Nigeria without evaluating their effects on physical and mechanical properties of soil. Therefore, the aim of this present study 51

3 was to determine the impact of different tillage practices on soil moisture content and soil bulk density in Oyo Metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS Research Location The study was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria. Oyo lies on the longitude East of the Greenwich meridian and latitude North of the equator. It is about 55kilometers North-East wards from Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State. The altitude is between 300 and 600 metres above the sea level. The mean annual temperature is about 27 o C while that of rainfall is about 1165mm. The vegetation of the area is Southern Guinea Savanna Zone (Amao, 2013). Soil Sampling and Analysis The soil of the research location is classified as predominantly sandy-loam. A composite soil sample from different point was collected from 0-30cm depth 10 days before tillage treatments during the period of study and was analyzed through laboratory procedures for particle size distribution and Phoporus, Pottasium, Iron, Zinc, Cupper, Mn, EC and ph. Meterological Variables Meterological data for the locality covering the experimental period were obtained from the Meterological Data processing unit, Department of Geography, School of Sciences, Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo. Oyo State, Shown in Fig 1. Experimental Procedure The study was laid out in a Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) with five replications. The size of each plot was 15.0m long and 5.0m wide. A buffer zone of 5.0m spacing was provided between plots. These treatments were applied to the same plots during the experimental period of Tillage treatments included one pass of moldboard plow followed two passes of disk harrow (MDD) as conventional tillage, two passes of disk harrow (DD) as reduced tillage, one pass of disk harrow (D) as minimum tillage and non tillage area as (NT). 52

4 Collection of Data Data were collected for soil bulk density (SBD), moisture content (SMC) and soil penetration resistance (SPR) as selected physical and mechanical properties from 0 30 cm depth after tilling the soil with the standard procedures adopted for recording the data for soil bulk density (SBD) was through seven undisturbed samples taken from each plot by core sampler and dried 24hours at C in the oven. Also, soil moisture content (SMC) was obtained during soil bulk density (SBD). Meanwhile, soil penetration resistance (SPR) was obtained by seven time insertion in each plot with a CP40-II cone penetrometer with small cone size based on ASAE standard S313.3 FEB04. Analysis of Data Data collected are subjected to analysis of variance using of General Model Procedure of SAS (2003) while treatment means were separated using the same procedure. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The results of the soil analysis and chemical properties tests carried out on the research plot is shown in Table 1. The soil is found to be predominantly sandy-loam, almost neutral and has high water retention ability with average moisture content of 23.0% dry basis, silt 18.0%, sand 58.0% with ph level of 7.2 and chemical properties OC, P, K, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn were 0.60%, 40.0ppm, 250ppm, 3.24ppm, 0.89ppm, 2.13ppm and 15.7ppm this was closely related to the findings of Ajav and Adewoyin (2012) but the soil chemical properties is slightly higher than the findings of Fathollahzadeh et al, (2009) on the sandy soils of Tehran, Iran. This is accounted for by the variation in the soil texture and moisture content. There are significant (P < 0.05) differences between soil moisture content, soil bulk density, soil penetration resistance and different tillage methods during the experimental period. Different tillage treatments were significantly (P<0.05) different for soil moisture content (SMC), soil bulk density (SBD) and soil penetration resistance (SPR). The soil moisture content (SMC) reveals highest value of 21.69% for MDD treatment, followed closely was DD of 19.98% and least value of 14.67% for NT. Thus, this was similar to the findings of Fereydoun (2011) who reported a similar but lower numerical ranged of values for MC against MDD, DD, D and NT respectively. Thus, this present study reveals soil loosening effect of primary tillages and similar to the study of Iqbal et al., (2005) that conventional tillages practices increased soil moisture content and decreased in soil bulk density and soil penetration resistance. Soil bulk density (SBD) shows a significant (P<0.05) different with 53

5 highest value of 1.82gcm -3 for non- tillage area (NT), follows closely was D of 1.76 gcm -3 and the lowest value of 1.67 gcm -3 was obtained for MDD. Significant (P<0.05) different was also observed for Soil penetration resistance during the experimental period. Non- tillage area (NT) had the highest values of 1123 kpa for soil penetration resistance, followed closely was D with value of 986 kpa and least value of 490 kpa was observed for MDD. The present results for soil bulk density and soil penetration resistance were in agreement with the findings of Khurshid et al., (2006) that conventional tillage practices increased the length and complexity of the soil. The effect of ploughing depth on average with three-share disc plough using fuel flow meter and electronic board (Fathollahzadeh et al., 2009) was reported as one of some of the factors that affects the fuel consumption of tractors during ploughing operation vary continuously in the farm. Al-Suhaibani and Ghaly (2010) investigated the effect of ploughing depth and forward speed on the performance of a medium size chisel plow operating in a sandy soil but the effect of ploughing depth and ploughing speed on the average fuel consumption for varieties of farm tractors operating in the same zone such as Oyo State Nigeria (Ajav and Adewoyin, 2012). Conclusion The different tillage method was observed to be more accurate and gainful method for better improvement of both physical and mechanical index of the soil in this Oyo metropolis of Nigeria Reference: Adewuyi, S.A., Ashaolu O.F., Ayinde, I.A., and S.O.Ogundele Determinants of Farm Mechanization among Arable Crop Farmers in Ibarapa Zone, Oyo State, Nigeria. Moor Journal of Agricultural Research. 7(1): Ajav, E.A and Adewoyin, A.O. (2012). Effect of ploughing depth and speed on tractor fuel consumption in a sandy-loam soil of Oyo State-Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, 20 (2): Al-Suhaibani S.A. and Ghaly, A.E (2010). Effect of Ploughing Depth of Tillage and Forward Speed on the Performance of a Medium size Chiesel Plow Operating in a Sandy Soil. American Journal of Agricultural and Biological Sciences 5(3): Amao, S.R. (2013). Genotype by housing types (tyre and plastic box) interaction on the growth traits of achatina snails reared in southern guinea savanna zone Oyo. Nigeria. Transnational Journal of Science and Technology, 3 (6):

6 Cecil, P., Mataba T. and Barveh E.A. (2002). Agricultural Tractor Ownership and Off-Season Utilization in the Kgatleng District of Botswana. Agricultural Mechanization in Asia, Africa and Latin America 33(3): 66. Fathollahzadeh H., Mobli H., and Tabatabaie, S.M.H (2009). Effect of Ploughing depth on average and instantaneous tractor fuel consumption with three-share disc plough. International Agro-physics, 23: Fereydoun, K. (2011). Effect of different tillage methods on physical and mechanical properties of soil. Agricultural Engineering Research Journal, 1 (3): Hammel, J.F. (1989). Long term tillage and crop rotation effects on bulk density and soil impendence in northern Idaho. Soil Science Society of American Journal, 53: Iqbal, M., Hassan, A.U., Ali, A and Rizwanullah, M. (2005). Residual effect of tillage and farm manure on some soil physical properties and growth of wheat (Trilicium aestivum L). International Journal of Agriculture and Biology,1: Lal, R. (1993). Tillage effects on soil degradation, soil resillence, soil quality and sustainability. Soil and Tillage Research, 51: Khan, F.U.H., Tahir, A.R. and Yule, I.J. (2001). Intrinsic implication of different tillage practices on soil penetration resistance and crop growth. International Journal of Agriculture and Biology,1: Khurshid, K., Iqbal, M., Arif, M.S. and Nawaz, N (2006). Effect of tillage and mulch on soil physical and properties and growth of maize. International Journal of Biology, 5: Pandey M. M. (2004). Present Status and Future Requirements of Farm Equipment for Crop Production. Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal. Pp.67 Rashidi, M and Keshavarzpour, F (2007). Effect of different tillage methods on grain yield and yield components of maize (Zea mays L). International Journal of Agriculture and Biology,2: SAS. Statistical Analysis System. User s guide. Statistical Analysis Institute (versions 9.1). Inc. Carry North Carolina. USA,

7 Fig 1: Means monthly rainfall and temperature ( mean of 2011 and 2012) Table 1: Particle size distribution and Soil chemical properties of the experimental plot Variables Soil Characteristics Soil type Sandy loam Sand (%) 58 Silt (%) 18 Clay (%) 23 ph level 7.2 OC (%) 0.60 P (ppm) 40.0 K (ppm) 250 Fe (ppm) 3.24 Zn (ppm) 0.89 Cu (ppm) 2.13 Mn (ppm)

8 Table 2: Means (SEM±) comparison of SMC, SBD and SPR of soil among different tillage methods adopted during the experimental period. Variables MDD DD D NT SMC (%) ± 1.56 a ± 1.23 ab ± 1.12 b ± 1.03 c SBD (g cm -3 ) 1.67 ±0.01 c 1.72 ± 0.03 b 1.76 ± 0.07 ab 1.82 ± 0.04 a SPR (kpa) 490 ± c 809 ± b 986 ± ab 1123 ± a abc Means in the same column with different superscript were significantly (P<0.05) different SMC = Soil moisture content, SBD = Soil bulk density and SPR= Soil penetration resistance 57