Effect of Tillage Methods and Fertilizer Types on Some Selected Physicochemical Properties of Soil and Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) Yield in Awka, Southeastern Nigeria
Authors
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Chinelo J. Nwaiwu
Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Management, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka 420102, Nigeria
- Angela C. Oraegbunam Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Management, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka 420102, Nigeria
- Akudo O. Onunwa Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Management, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka 420102, Nigeria
- Emmanuel C. Nnabuihe Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Management, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka 420102, Nigeria
- Tochukwu V. Nwosu Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Management, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka 420102, Nigeria
- Maduabuchi J. Okafor Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Management, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka 420102, Nigeria
- Jessica E. Nwankwo Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Management, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka 420102, Nigeria
Keywords:
Tillage methods, fertilizer types, soil physicochemical properties, cowpea yield, conservational tillageAbstract
Background and Objective: Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different tillage methods and fertilizer types on selected soil physicochemical properties and the growth and yield performance of cowpea. The experiment was conducted at the Department of Soil Science and Land Resource Management Research Farm, Ifite-Awka, Anambra State.
Materials and Methods: A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with eight treatments replicated three times was employed. Treatments included: No tillage with no amendment; No tillage + NPK (5 kg ha–1); no tillage +NPK (5 kg ha–1) + poultry manure (2 kg); no tillage + poultry manure (2 kg ha–1), conservation tillage with no amendment; conservation tillage + NPK (5 kg ha–1), conservation tillage + NPK (5 kg ha–1) + poultry manure (2 kg ha–1) and conservation tillage +poultry manure (2 kg ha–1). The experiment was conducted on a 25 m×10 m field. Soil physicochemical properties were analyzed in the laboratory, while plant growth and yield parameters (plant height, number of leaves, number of pods and pod weight) were recorded.
Results: The treatments showed no significant effects on exchangeable Mg, Na, H, Al and total nitrogen. In contrast, soil pH, Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), organic carbon, available phosphorus and exchangeable K and Ca exhibited significant treatment effects. Soil texture remained unchanged across treatments, whereas bulk density decreased relative to initial values. Soil moisture content increased considerably after the experiment. Cowpea grown under conservation tillage combined with poultry manure produced the greatest plant height and highest number of leaves among all treatments.
Conclusion: Overall, conservation tillage supplemented with poultry manure (deep litter) was the most effective treatment, enhancing cowpea growth and yield while improving key soil physicochemical properties. This integrated management approach is therefore recommended for optimizing soil productivity and cowpea performance in the study area.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Chinelo J. Nwaiwu, Angela C. Oraegbunam, Akudo O. Onunwa, Emmanuel C. Nnabuihe, Tochukwu V. Nwosu, Maduabuchi J. Okafor, Jessica E. Nwankwo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
