Assessment Of Soil Management Practices On Soil Productivity Using Riquier Productivity Index Model In Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria
Kurayemen Chagbe
Department of Soil Science, University of Agriculture, P.M.B 2373, Makurdi, Nigeria
Philip Ijirbee Agber
Department of Soil Science, University of Agriculture, P.M.B 2373, Makurdi, Nigeria
Aminu Ali
Department of Soil Science, University of Agriculture, P.M.B 2373, Makurdi, Nigeria
Keywords: Soil management, soil productivity, model, tillage, yields
Abstract
Field experiments were carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, South Core (Latitude 7o46’– 7o50’N and Longitude 8o36’ – 8o40’E) during the 2018 and 2019 cropping seasons. The experiment was setup to assess the effectiveness of soil management practices on soil productivity using Riquire productivity index (RI) model in Makurdi under rainfed conditions. Physical and chemical properties of the soils of the study site were determined at the beginning and end of the experiment and subjected to productivity index model of Riquier (1970). The experiment was a factorial experiment in randomized complete block design (RCBD), with three tillage methods (zero tillage, ridge tillage and surface hoeing) and four soil amendments (control, 15 t/ha moringa, 10 t/ha poultry dropping and 120 kg/ha SSP) replicated three times. Tillage treatments constituted the main plots with soil amendments in the sub-plots, resulting in total of twelve (12) treatment combinations. Riquier productivity index (RI) model was used in the study to assess soil productivity under various soil management practices. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to test the relationships between grain yields of soyabean and RI at various soil management practices. Riquier productivity index (RI) rating and coefficient of improvement (CI) indicated ‘good soil productivity’. The coefficient of improvement indicated 0.64% improvement in soil productivity in 2018 and increased by 1.07% coefficient of soil improvement in 2019. The relationship between grain yield of soyabean and RI showed significant positive correlation (r = 0.569) in the second cropping season