Effect of tillage systems and tillage direction on soil hydrological properties and soil suspended particle concentration in arable land in Uganda

Abstract

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development addressing the issues of environmental degradation has been challenged by human developments and activities. Crop production systems and technologies (e.g. soil tillage) are among the leading factors causing environmental degradation. In this study, the effect of soil tillage systems (i.e. no-tillage (NT); stubble-mulching (SM); deep tillage (DT); and conventional tillage (CT)) on surface runoff volume (SRV), suspended sediment concentration (SSC), infiltration rate (IR), and soil moisture content (SMC) in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) farms, Mukono District, Uganda was evaluated. The effect of soil tillage direction on SRV was also assessed. The SRV, SSC, IR, and SMC were monitored under Complete Randomized Block Design (CRBD) experiments with four soil tillage systems in Goma and Kimenyedde experimental sites during two wet seasons. The results showed that SRV, SSC, IR, and SMC were significantly (p 0.05) variations were observed in the SMC under the NT and SM treatments. Overall, soil tillage systems, soil type, and rainfall characteristics are among the key factors influencing the magnitudes of SRV and SSC in both time and space. This particular study suggests that NT and SM would help reduce the magnitudes of SRV and SSC, in agricultural fields.

Keywords

• Hydrology
• Agricultural science
• Environmental science
• Soil tillage systems
• Tillage direction
• Surface runoff volume