Effect Of Stylo Cover And N-fertilization On Soil Physical Properties Water Use And Yield Of Maize At Samaru

An investigation was carried out at the Institutefor Agricultural Research Farm in Samaru, Zaria, duringthe 1992 rainy season to determine the effect of astylo cover crop (Stylosanthes hamata) and N-fertilizationon soil physical properties, water use and yield of maize.The field on which the trial was conducted was dividedinto two parts: one part (stylo fallowed) had beenunder stylo pasture for two years before the treatmentsof four levels of N- 0, 40, 80 and 120KgNha"1 wereimposed. The stylo pasture was also planted as atreatment cover crop. The second part of the field hadbeen under grass fallow for two years before the treatmentsof only four levels of N were imposed.The treatments were combined and replicated fourtimes giving a total of thirty six plots on the stylofallowed field and four plots on the grass fallowed field.The design used was the Randomised Complete Block Design,Moisture use was closely monitored to a depth of 130cmby the use of a Neutron Probe moisture meter. Physicalproperties of the soil were measured both in the fieldand in the laboratory.The stylo cover was observed to increaseinfiltration rate, total porosity, saturated hydraulicconductivity and lower the bulk density of the soil.N levels did not, however, affect these soil properties.Maize cropped on the stylo fallowed plots usedmore water than that cropped on the grass fallowedplots, but the maize intercropped with the pasturecrop used less water than the sole cropped maize. Theintercropped maize was, however, found to have higherwater use efficiency than the sole cropped maize.Addition of N significantly increased the crop wateruse over the no N treatment although the three levelsof N produced statistically the same water use.Grain yield was found to be higher on the stylofallowed than the grass fallowed plots. Addition of Nincreased the grain yield but. the result was higlilyvariable.

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