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

Abstract

A short-term field and laboratory experiment was conducted to assess the impact of four traditional tillage methods on the physical, chemical and biochemical properties of a sandy clay loam alfisol under maize (Zea mays L.) cultivation following a fallow period of five years. Treatments included slash only (SO), slash +burn (SB), slash+ ridge (SR) and herbicide (glyphosate) application (HA) at the recommended rate of 2 L/ha-1. Results from the statistical analysis of data from this study showed inconsistent trends of tillage treatments on soil physical properties. However, slash +burn (SB) tillage significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced chemical properties such as the soil pH, available P, exchangeable K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ compared to their respective values before treatment application in the two years under study. Amongst the treatments, slash + burn (SB) tillage further exerted the most significant (P [≤] 0.05) effect on urease, L-asparaginase, L-glutaminase, dehydrogenase, acid and alkaline phosphatase activities, but recorded the least values for amidase and {beta}-glucosidase activities in soil. Results from this study therefore, suggest that SB tillage treatment was beneficial to the soil environment as it has proven to be more promising and effective for enhancing the selected soil quality indicators on the soil type due to quick mineralization and release of bound nutrients present in the soil and litter.