Effect of tillage, FYM, and mulch on soil physicochemical properties in Hamelmalo Region, Eritrea
Tillage, FYM, and mulch on soil physicochemical properties
Keywords:
Farmyard manure, Mulch, Soil, Physico-chemical properties, TillageAbstract
Land degradation and water conservation are serious problems in Eritrea, hence to arrest degradation and conserve water, a field experiment was conducted in the watershed area of Hamelmalo Agricultural College, Keren, Eritrea during the summer season of 2018 intending to study the effect of tillage, FYM, and mulch on soil physicochemical properties with sorghum crop, under rainfed conditions. A split-split plot experimental design was chosen with tillage (conventional tillage, CT; reduced tillage, RT and no-till, NT) as the main plot, FYM (0, 5, 10, 15 t ha-1) as sub-plot and mulch (0, 4 t ha-1) as sub-sub-plot in three replications. Each sub-sub-plot was 15 m2. The plots were bunded to avoid any run-off, in or out. The distance between subplots and sub-sub plots was 40 cm. Results showed that tillage affected infiltration rate and bulk density and FYM bulk density, and infiltration rate, positively influenced soil aggregation and soil chemical properties significantly (p<0.05). The highest mean weight diameter was observed in NT (6.12 mm), and the lowest was in CT (2.8 mm). Soil organic matter was highest in NT with 15 t ha-1 FYM, which elevated the organic matter content of the soil by 62 % as compared to pre-sowing. Phosphorus level in soil improved from very low to low in 15 t ha-1 FYM with mulch over 0 t ha-1. FYM of 15 t ha-1 with Mulch brought a slight change in exchangeable cations (Na, K, Ca, and Mg).
Keywords: Farmyard manure, Mulch, Soil, Physico-chemical properties, Tillage.
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