Effect of different crop residue management techniques on selected soil properties and grain production of maize

Abstract

Residue addition into the soil environment and the changes associated with their additions are important in planning cultural operations and developing appropriate soil management systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different residue management techniques (surface mulch, burning and incorporation, slash and incorporation and control ) on soil properties and grain yield of maize. In all treatments soil ph,OM(g/kg),CEC(cmolkg- ,Avail.P(mgkg- and exchangeable bases( 1 ) 1 ) cmolkg- ) improved significantly (P<0.05) relative to the control. Maize grain yield was higher in residue 1 treated plots relative to the control, in both cropping seasons irrespective of the treatment. The correlation co-efficient between yield and soil properties showed high values indicating that observed improvements in soil properties in amended plots contributed to higher maize grain yield.