Research Article

Agronomic and Economic Evaluation of Different Conservation and Conventional Farming Practices on a Sandy Clay Loam Soil at Minna, Nigeria

Odofin A. J.1*, Kaure I. G.2, Tanko L.3, Eneje R. C4
1 Department of Soil Science, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria.
2 Niger State College of Education, Minna, Nigeria
3 Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension Technology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria
4 Department of Soil Science and Agro-climatology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture
* Corresponding author: odofinayo@yahoo.co.uk
Published: Aug, 2011
DOI: 10.67042/njss.2011.2pkoa65r
Pages: 118-128
Views: 481
Downloads: 704

Abstract

Field trials were carried out in 2008 and 2009 cropping seasons to compare manual ridging (control) with ten conservation and conventional farming practices. The zero tillage treatments recorded significantly higher penetration resistance than manual ridging in both years. In terms of soil moisture content, seedling emergence, plant height, grain yield and stover + grain yield, however, the control and the test treatments were not significantly different. The insignificantly different pooled grain yield ranged from 2,043 kg ha-1 for slash-and-clear reduced tillage to 2,387 kg ha-1 for manual ridging. There was a wide variation in treatment costs from N9,000 ha-1 for slash-and-mulch zero tillage to N55,100 ha-1 for ploughing, harrowing and ridging. This resulted into slash-and-mulch, herbicide-based and slash-and-clear zero tillage treatment having significantly higher yield-cost ratio than the control. Slash-and-mulch and herbicide-based zero tillage practices are therefore recommended for promotion among Nigerian peasant farmers. The two other conservation farming practices, namely slash-and-mulch and herbicide-based reduced tillage, which recorded insignificantly higher yield-cost ratio than the control are also recommended.

Keywords

conservation agriculture conventional agriculture yield-cost rati

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How to Cite

J., O. A., G., K. I., L., T., & C, E. R. (2011). Agronomic and Economic Evaluation of Different Conservation and Conventional Farming Practices on a Sandy Clay Loam Soil at Minna, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Soil Science, 21(2), 118-128. https://doi.org/10.67042/njss.2011.2pkoa65r

O. A. J., K. I. G., T. L., and E. R. C, "Agronomic and Economic Evaluation of Different Conservation and Conventional Farming Practices on a Sandy Clay Loam Soil at Minna, Nigeria," Nigerian Journal of Soil Science, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 118-128, August 2011. doi: 10.67042/njss.2011.2pkoa65r

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