Determination of suitable tillage systems for cotton and groundnut production under perennial weed-free and infested field conditions in irrigated Vertisols of Sudan
2012
El-Awad, S.A., Agricultural Engineering Research Programm, Agricultural Research Corporation. P.O.Box. 126, Wad Medani (Sudan.) | Dafalla, M.Y., Agricultural Engineering Research Programm, Agricultural Research Corporation. P.O.Box. 126, Wad Medani (Sudan.)
Five tillage treatments namely, re-ridging, split ridging, disc harrowing (as minimum tillage operations); chiseling and disc ploughing (as deep tillage operations) were tested at two field conditions; of perennial weed_free and perennial weed_infested fields. The third treatment was ridged as a final seed bed, while the last two treatments were harrowed and ridged. The objective was to determine a suitable land preparation method for cotton and groundnut under each of the two field conditions. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used. The plot size was 8 rows x12 m and the harvested area was 4 rows x 10 m. The results showed no significant differences in the perennial weed_free field for soil clod size distribution percentage (SCSD %) at both initial and final seedbed preparation, the number of annual weeds/m2 and the time taken to manual weeding for cotton and groundnut as well as in crop growth and yield of cotton and groundnut. The SCSD % of very fine soil clods constituted more than 75%, indicating a fine seedbed. In the perennial weed_infested field, chiseling and disc ploughing resulted in similar effects on SCSD % in the initial operation. Compared to the other tillage treatments, their effects on different groups of SCSD % were significantly different. Although they resulted in significantly higher SCSD % of very fine soil clods, the value was less than 50% indicating a cloddy soil surface in the initial tillage operation. In the final seedbed, harrowing, chiseling and disc ploughing systems resulted in significantly lower percentage of all clod size groups, but in significantly higher SCSD % of very fine soil clods as a result of the harrowing action compared to re-ridging and split ridging. Under both field conditions, chiseling resulted in a significant increase in fuel consumption, followed by disc ploughing. Chiseling and disc ploughing also resulted in a significant increase in ploughing depth and ridge height and in a significant reduction in noxious weeds in the perennial weed_infested field compared to other treatments. In the perennial weed_infested field, chiseling and disc ploughing resulted in a significant increase in cotton and groundnut root elongation, cotton plant height, seed cotton and groundnut yields compared to other treatments. It was concluded that, minimum tillage using economical tillage implements could be used in the perennial weed_free fields, while deep tillage using chiseling and disc ploughing followed by harrowing should be used in the perennial weed_infested fields
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