%0 Journal Article
%T Effect of tillage on soil physical properties, growth and yield of amaranth
%A SO Afolayan
%A O Babalola
%A JC Igbeka
%J African Crop Science Journal
%D 2004
%I 
%X A study was conducted to determine the effect of tillage, namely, no-tillage (NT), slashing (SH), ploughing (PHO), ploughing plus harrowing (PHA), ploughing plus harrowing plus bedding (PHB), on soil physical properties, growth and shoot yield of large-green leafy amaranth (Amaranth sp.). Soil moisture retention and infiltration rates were also measured in two cropping seasons. Soil moisture retention did not reflect any significant differences in the first and second season at 0-10 cm depth. However, at 10-20 cm depth, PHA treatment gave the highest values at all the suction points (P<0.5) (56.6, 56.5, 54.8, 53.3, 52.4, 51.4 and 50.3%) except at 15,000 cm. Infiltration rate was highest in PHB (5.79 cm hr-1) during the first season, while SH recorded the highest mean value in the second season (3.22 cm hr-1). Leaf area and stem girth performed significantly (P<.05) better under PHO (76.0 cm2) and PHB treatments (5.7 cm), respectively. In the first season harvest, PHO was better than other treatments (1.33 t ha-1), while in the second season, PHB was superior to other treatments and was closely followed by PHO. However, in view of energy input, fuel consumption profile, costs outlay and soil nutrient dynamics, PHO is preferred as optimum tillage method for the cultivation of amaranths sp. Key Words: Infiltration, saction, soil moisture retention, stem girth R¨¦SUM¨¦ Une ¨¦tude ¨¦tait conduite pour d¨¦terminer les effets du labour: no-labour (NL), coupage (C), labourage (L ), labourage + hersage (LH), labourage+hersage+repiquage (LHR), sur les propri¨¦t¨¦s physiques de sols, la croisaance et le rendement en bourgeons des feuilles vertes larges amaranth (Amaranth sp.). L'humidit¨¦ retenue dans le sol et les taux d'infiltration ¨¦taient m¨¦sur¨¦s pour deux saisons. L'humidit¨¦ retenue dans le sol n'a pas vari¨¦ significativement entre la 1¨¨re et la 2¨¨me saison pour une profondeur de 0-10 cm. Cependant, de 10 ¨¤ 20 cm de profondeur, le traitement LH donna la valeur la plus ¨¦l¨¦v¨¦e pour toutes les points de succions (P<0.05) (56.6, 56.5, 54.8, 53.3, 52.4, 51.4 et 50.3%) exception faite pour 15000 cm. Le taux d'infiltration ¨¦tait le plus ¨¦l¨¦v¨¦ pour LHR (5.79 cm hr-1) pendant la premi¨¨re saison, alors que C enregistra la valur moyenne la plus ¨¦l¨¦v¨¦e pour la deuxi¨¨me saison (3.22 cm hr-1). La surface de la feuille et la circonf¨¦rence des tiges ¨¦taient meilleures sous (L) (76.0 cm2) et LHR (5.7 cm), respectivement. Dans la premi¨¨re saison de recolte, (L ) ¨¦tait mieux que tous les autres traitements (1.33 t ha-1), alors que pour la seconde saison, LHR ¨¦tait sup¨¦rieur aux autres traitements suivit de plus pr¨¨s par L. Cependant, ¨¤ l'¨¦gard de l'¨¦nergie d¨¦pens¨¦e, le profile de consommation du carburant, le co t des d¨¦penses et la dynamique des ¨¦l¨¦ments nutritifs, L est pr¨¦f¨¦rable comme m¨¦thode de labour optimum pour la culture de amaranths sp. Mots Cl¨¦s: Infiltration, succion, retention d'humidit¨¦ dans le sol, circonf¨¦rence de la tige African Crop Science Journal Vol.12(2) 20
%U http://www.ajol.info/index.php/acsj/article/view/27672