Research Article
Tillage Effects on Selected Soil Physical Properties in a Maize-Bean Intercropping System in Mwala District, Kenya
Table 2
Soil moisture content (%) as affected by tillage, cropping systems, and depth (
seasons).
| | |
Soil moisture (%) | | | LR 2012 | SR 2012 | LR 2013 | SR 2013 | Mean |
| | Tillage | | | | | | | Hand hoeing only (H) | 14.57 | 13.74 | 9.63 | 15.39 | 13.33 | | Hand hoeing with tied ridges (HTR) | 15.61 | 13.80 | 8.42 | 15.26 | 13.27 | | Disc ploughing (DP) | 13.68 | 13.94 | 8.82 | 15.89 | 13.08 | | Disc ploughing + harrowing (DPH) | 15.09 | 13.66 | 8.66 | 16.18 | 13.40 | | Ox-ploughing (OX) | 14.55 | 15.33 | 9.98 | 16.55 | 14.10 | | Subsoiling-ripping (SSR) | — | 14.35 | 9.96 | 15.98 | 13.43 | | Mean | 14.70 | 14.14 | 9.25 | 15.87 | 13.44 | | Cropping system | | | | | | | Sole bean | 14.74 | 14.19 | 9.48 | 15.94 | 13.59 | | Sole maize | 14.71 | 14.21 | 9.05 | 15.96 | 13.48 | | Intercrop | 14.65 | 14.02 | 9.20 | 15.72 | 13.40 | | Depth | | | | | | | 0–20 cm | 13.85 | 13.09 | 8.04 | 15.15 | 12.53 | | 20–40 cm | 15.55 | 15.18 | 10.44 | 16.59 | 14.44 | | Significance levels | | | | | | | Time (weeks after planting) | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | | Tillage | 0.019 | 0.158 | 0.003 | <0.001 | <0.001 | | Cropping systems | 0.891 | 0.684 | 0.547 | 0.895 | 0.899 | | Depth | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.003 | <0.001 |
|
|
(—): not measured in that season.
|
