SOIL WATER BALANCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF MAIZE UNDER THREE DIFFERENT TILLAGE PRACTICES

Abstract

Soil water is a major limiting factor to the production of maize particularly under rainfed condition. Field experiments were conducted in the early and late season periods at the experimental Engineering, F.U.T. Akure. farm of the Department of Agricultural The aim was to .quantify water use pattern, water balance and yield of maize (Zea mays, L) under three tillage methods. The tillage treatments are heaping (as practiced by traditional farmers), tied-ridging and untilled flat. The untilled flat and tied-ridge improved crop performance by increasing agronomic characters such as plant height leaf area biomass and maize grain yield. The relative water use (ET/Eo) reflected the influence of precipitation and hence soils moisture availability on crop water use. It is concluded that crop water use (ET) differed among the tillage treatments with decreasing order in untilled flat, tied-ridging and heaping. The result obtained in this study would be useful in water stress studies, which can be used for scheduling irrigation and yield prediction.