Moses B. Adewole
Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria
Title: Zero-tillage andbiochar use for soil carbon sequestration, dry matter yield and nutrient uptake of maize
Biography
Biography: Moses B. Adewole
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted in 2014 and 2015 on an Ultisol soil type of forest ecology in Southwestern Nigeria to determine the effects of zero-tillage and biochar use on the rate of soil carbon sequestration and soil fertility maintenance when maize was the test crop. This was with a view to optimising strategies for enhancing carbon sequestration in the soil. The experimental field was prepared once and plots were laid in a randomised complete block design with three treatments, each replicated four times. Seeds of maize variety, ART/98/SW6 were sown and the treatments [maize stover and maize cob biochars], each at 10 t ha-1 were applied at sowing. Zero biochar application served as control. Manual weeding of the plots was carried out at 2, 5 and 7 weeds after sowing (WAS), and the experiment terminated at 12 WAS. Maize stoverbiochar had higher potential for carbon sequestration with 12.45 t C ha-1 yr-1 as about 79% of the initial organic cabon remained in the soil after the two consecutive maize cropping. Enhanced dry matter yield and nutrient uptake of maize were obtained with zero-tillage agrosystem and biochars as soil amendments in a sandy loam soil of Nigerian forest ecology.