EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT SOIL TILLAGE CHARACTERISTICS ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF MAIZE (Zea Mays L.) IN SAMARU ZARIA, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the performances of different animal drawn implements on the upland soils of Samaru, Zaria for three years (2008 – 2010). Two white Fulani bulls were used to pull mouldboard ridger and mould board plough implements at different depths and speed of operation. A 2 x 3 x 3 factorial experimental design was arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design. The experimental design comprised of eighteen treatments replicated three times. Results show that grain yield, treatments T₈ (I₁S₃d₂) and T₁₅ (I₂S₂d₃) resulted in the highest grain yield (4.71 t/ha and 4.89 t/ha) for the mouldboard ridger and mould board plough respectively. It was also found that, plant height varied with the implement used and depth of tillage considered, and the plant height increased with increase in tillage depth. The analysis of variance showed that tillage depth significantly affected the maize grain yield.