Effect of Tillage Practices on Selected Soil Properties in Sudan Savanna Agro-Ecology of Nigeria

Abstract— Field experiments were carried out in 2018 and 2019 cropping seasons to evaluate the effect of tillage practices on selected soil properties in Sudan Savanna Agro-ecology of Nigeria. Treatments consisted of zero tillage, flat beds and ridges, and were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and replicated three times. Prior to experiment, surface (0-15 cm) soil samples were collected from eight points and bulked; post-harvest composite soil samples were also collected on the basis of treatments and were analyzed using standard analytical procedures. NCRIBEN-01M variety of sesame was used as the test crop for both cropping seasons. The data generated from the study were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using Genstat Release 10.3 DE after which significant means were separated using Least Significant Difference (LSD) at 5 % level of probability. Based on the findings of this study, there were significant effects of tillage practices with respect to most soil parameters studied in 2018 and 2019 cropping seasons. The effects of tillage practices on soil nutrients indicated that the zero tilled plots had higher nutrients and organic matter, followed by the flat beds while the ridged plots gave lower values for essential nutrients and organic matter in both cropping seasons. For conservation or retention of essential nutrients as well as organic matter in soil, zero tillage is recommended for the study area