Soil Water Storage under Selected Maize Varieties (Zea mays L.) for Rain-fed Conditions in Zambia
Journal Title: International Journal of Plant & Soil Science - Year 2017, Vol 15, Issue 2
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate soil water storage under 30 maize varieties differing in maturity for rain-fed conditions in Zambia. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at the University of Zambia Agricultural Demonstration Center during the 2014-2015 rainy season in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications. Soil water storage was determined from gravimetric soil water measurements on selected dates during the crop growing season, while changes in soil water storage, drainage and runoff were estimated using the AquaCrop model. Measured parameters were subjected to Analysis of Variance and differences declared significant at P < .05. Results: Significant differences were observed in storage and runoff (P < .001), and drainage (P = .00) of early maturing maize varieties. Maize varieties MRI 514, SC 513 and PAN 413 consistently had the lowest soil water storage in the profile, while SC 525 and SC 403 consistently had highest soil water storage throughout the growing season. Among medium maturing maize varieties, there was net depletion of water in the soil profile. However, no significant differences were observed in storage (P = .12), runoff (P = .11) and drainage (P = .84). PHB 30G19 and P 3812w maize varieties had, respectively, the lowest and highest amount of stored soil water in the root zone. No significant differences were observed in storage (P = .64), runoff (P = .30) and drainage (P = .22) for late maturing maize varieties. Nevertheless, PAN 8M 93 consistently had the lowest soil water storage, while ZMS 720 had the highest amount of stored soil water. Conclusion: The study concludes that soil water storage was dictated largely by the magnitude of drainage and runoff due to the sandy textured nature of the studied soil. Therefore, there is need to integrate effective management strategies that can enhance soil water storage especially on soils with low water holding capacity and such strategies are henceforth recommended.
Authors and Affiliations
Ethel Mudenda, Elijah Phiri, Lydia Mumbi Chabala
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP316515
- DOI 10.9734/IJPSS/2017/32139
- Views 118
- Downloads 0
Assessment of Soil Quality of Some Lands in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur Districts for Improved Cultivation of Rice and Sugarcane
Soil quality is defined as the soil’s capacity to function within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries and to sustain plant productivity while reducing soil degradation. It can be assessed by selecting different indic...
Yield Performance and Nutrient Uptake of Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) Varieties under Different Dates of Sowing and Planting Geometry
An investigation was conducted at research farm of SKUAST–Jammu. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design with 18 treatments and three replications. The treatments consisted of three dates of sowi...
Nutrient Release Patterns of Tithonia Compost and Poultry Manure in Three Dominant Soils in the Southern Guinea Savanna, Nigeria
Aim: Incubation experiment was conducted to determine nutrient release patterns of tithonia compost and poultry manure in three dominant soils in the southern Guinea savanna, Nigeria. Study Design: Complete randomized d...
Growth and Development Response of Kale (Brassica oleracea var. Acephala L.) Seedlings to Different Commercial Growing Media
The study was carried out at Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) formerly Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) under an 80% net shade house to evaluate the response of kale (Brassica oleracea...
Mono and Co-inoculation Response of Rhizobium and PGPR on Soybean in Central India
Nitrogen fixation by legume-rhizobium symbiosis is important to agricultural productivity and is therefore of great economic interest. The effect of mono and co-inoculation with Rhizobium and PGPR was investigated in two...