Responses of soil physical, chemical and biochemical properties to short-term impact of tillage in an alfisol under maize (Zea mays L.) cultivation

Abstract

14A short-term field and laboratory experiment was conducted to assess the impact of four 15 traditional tillage methods on the physical, chemical and biochemical properties of a sandy clay 16 loam alfisol under maize (Zea mays L.) cultivation following a fallow period of five years. 17Treatments included slash only (SO), slash +burn (SB), slash+ ridge (SR) and herbicide 18 (glyphosate) application (HA) at the recommended rate of 2 L/ha -1 . Results from the statistical 19 analysis of data from this study showed inconsistent trends of tillage treatments on soil physical 20 properties. However, slash +burn (SB) tillage significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced chemical 21 properties such as the soil pH, available P, exchangeable K + , Ca 2+ , and Mg 2+ compared to their 22 respective values before treatment application in the two years under study. Amongst the 23 treatments, slash + burn (SB) tillage further exerted the most significant (P ≤ 0.05) effect on 24 urease, L-asparaginase, L-glutaminase, dehydrogenase, acid and alkaline phosphatase activities, 25 but recorded the least values for amidase and β-glucosidase activities in soil. Results from this 26 study therefore, suggest that SB tillage treatment was beneficial to the soil environment as it has 27 proven to be more promising and effective for enhancing the selected soil quality indicators on 28 the soil type due to quick mineralization and release of bound nutrients present in the soil and 29 litter.30