EFFECTS OF SOIL COMPACTION AND RICE-HUSK INCORPORATION ON SOIL HYDRAULIC PROPERTIES AND MAIZE PRODUCTIVITY UNDER IRRIGATION AT GERIO IRRIGATION PROJECT ADAMAWA STATE NIGERIA
Compaction processes affect soil bulk density, hydraulic conductivity and penetration resistance which are the hydraulic properties associated with soil water movement. Rice-husk as an organic matter that can be added to the soil to cushion the effect of compaction, improve soil hydraulic properties and nutrient to enhance crop and good yield, their effectiveness has not been investigated in soil with different level of compaction. Hence, this study investigated the effects of soil compaction with various levels of rice-husk incorporation and number of tractor wheel passes on soil hydraulic properties and maize productivity under irrigation at Gerio. The research aimed at determining the effect of compaction and rice-husk incorporation on the hydraulic properties and irrigated maize crop productivity at Gerio irrigation project. The experiment was conducted at Gerio irrigation project of upper Benue River Basin Development Authority Yola, Nigeria. The experimental site was marked out to produced 5 rows of tractor wheel passes; 0,2,4,6,8 and 5 colons of 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%,80% of rice-husk levels which produced 25 subplots as treatment. In each of the subplots, measurements of bulk density, hydraulic conductivity, and penetration resistance were made using cylindrical core, falling head permeameter and cone penetrometer with the aim to determine whether the compaction by wheel passes and incorporation of the rice husk could have significant effect on the soil hydraulic properties. Also, non-hybridized maize seed was planted in each of the twenty five subplots, one seed per hole at 75cm x 25cm spacing at the depth of 5cm. the plots were irrigated using basin, weeds controlled was manually and the use of atrazine force herbicides. N.P. K. and urea fertilizer were applied at 3 and 7 weeks after planting, respectively and was harvested at 14weeks. Measurement of maize crop emergence, leaf area, plant, root weight and yield were made. From the results, bulk density increases with increase in number of tractor passes and also decreases with increase in rice-husk level in all the treatments. Maximum bulk density was obtained at 0% rice-husk in all the tractor passes with 1.64, 1.68, 1.70, 1.72 and 1.78mg/m3 respectively. The result also showed that, the hydraulic conductivity decreases with the increase in number of tractor passes at all the levels of rice-husk incorporation and increases with the increase in rice-husk at all the number of tractor passes. The treatment with 0 pass and 80% rice-husk produced the highest hydraulic conductivity of 0.18x10-4mm/sec. The result of penetration resistance in all the treatment was found to increase with the increase in number of tractor passes and decreases with the increase in rice-husk incorporation levels. Penetration resistance at 80% rice-husk with their corresponding tractor passes had lower values of 0.394, 0.4122, 0.480, 0.6100 and 0.747Mpa. Maximum maize crop productivity was obtained in treatment with 2 tractor passes and 20% rice-husk incorporation with maize yield of 2077.6kg/ha. From this study it could be seen that the rice-husk is effective in improving the soil hydraulic properties of Gerio agricultural soil. Therefore, farmers are advice to reincorporate rice-husk back into their farm before cultivation as it improves the soil structure. .Light compaction is needed to a certain degree for a favorable hydraulic properties of the soil. 3. It is also recommended that Laboratory experiment using same rice-husk and proctor hammer blows as compaction effort be carried out to determine their influence on the soil hydraulic properties.
Authors : Zamdayu, W.J., Tya, T.S.K., Ankidawa, B.A. and Baggogo, H.
Category : Open Access Volume (Issue) : 11(2) Date Uploaded : 24th September 2026