Tillage effects on soil properties, crop growth and yield of tef Eragrostis Tef (Zucc.) Trotter
1996
Zerihun Tadele (IAR, Addis Abeba (Ethiopia)) | Mitiku Haile | Stroud Ann
The experiment was conducted at Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center on black soil to determine the effect of different tillage systems (including no-tillage) on soil properties, crop growth, yield and economics of tef production. the treatments did not influence physical (bulk density, total porosity, moisture and texture), and chemical (pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, carbon nitrogen ratios, available phosphorus and exchangeable sodium and calcium) properties of soil at planting and a month later. Characters such as days to heading, panicle length and weight, grain yield per panicle and per hectare, and harvest index were not altered by the treatments. Plots with no- and 5-plowings registered significantly (p less than 0.05) higher lodging, dry biomass and straw yield over other treatments. Using the official price of 2,4-D at 22 ETB ha-1, plots with no-plowing had the highest marginal rate of return (70 percent over the treatment with one plowing). At the open market price of 2,4-D, i.e., 80ETB ha-1, still the treatment with no-plowing had the advantage.
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This bibliographic record has been provided by Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research