SOIL TILTH AND SOIL WATER CONSERVATION AFFECTED BY SOIL SURFACE MANAGEMENTS FOR CROPPING SYSTEM UNDER RAINFED CONDITION
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Abstract
The project was set up under rainfed condition in Amphoe Chiang Dao, Chiangmai Province in order to evaluate soil tilth, soil water storage and crop yields affected by different treatments of tillage and mulching. The experiment was in 3x2 factorial in Randomized Complete Block Design with 3 replications. The cropping system was wheat, peanut and wheat which had been grown during Oct 1985-Jan 1986, June-Aug 1986 and Oct 1986-Jan 1987 respectively. Soil physical properties were determined as the indices of soil tilth after growing eash crop and soil water storage had been determined at 4 stages of wheat growth. Crop yields were also determined after each crop harvesting. The results for the first year experiment indicated that good soil tilth could be deteriorated by either hoe- tillage or disk-plow tillage and mulching could conserve more soil water storage than no-mulching practice. Wheat yields gained by disk-plow tillage and no-tillage were higher than by hoe-tillage treatment. The second-year-results for peanut and wheat were similar. The obtained data showed that disk-plow tillage could improve top soil structure causing lower value of Bulk Density and higher values of Aerated Porosity, Stable Aggregate and Infiltration Rate of top soil layer (0-15 cm) but it tended to induce slightly denser lower subsoil layer (30-45 cm) compared with either hoe-tillage or no tillage treatment. Disk-plow tended to cause smaller amount of top soil water storage during ripening stage of wheat and also caused higher yields of both crop compared with the other tillage treatments. Mulching could protect good soil structure from rain drop impaction, prevent destruction of stable aggregate, conserve greater amount of soil water for every stage of wheat growth and caused higher yields of both crops compared with no-mulching.
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