On-Farm Verification of the Effects of Selected Soil Moisture Conservation Techniques on Yield and Yield Components of Early Maturing Maize Varieties at Bako, Western Ethiopia

Abstract

An on-farm verification experiment was conducted during the 2006 and 2007 growing seasons to verify the effects of different moisture conservation techniques on the yields and yield components of early maturing maize varieties on farmers’ fields at Bako. The experiment on all the three locations involved two promising tied ridges and planting methods or soil and water conservation techniques and a control and three early maturing maize varieties recommended by the national maize improvement program for semi-arid areas with a local cultivar used as a control. Throughout the study period, the experiment was laid down in a randomized complete block design in a 3 by 4 factorial arrangement with three replications (locations). For the 2006 season, grain yield of maize was highly significantly (P≤ 0.01) affected by the main effect of both varieties and water conservation techniques. An interaction was also observed between varieties of maize and techniques of water conservation. In all the varieties, adoption of closed end tied ridge planting in furrows have resulted more grain yield production of maize in comparison to the other types of water conservation approaches indicating that it assures better conservation of available water for plant use. Above ground biomass yield excluding grain yield (AGB/GY), average ear length at harvest (AEL), average ear width at harvest (AEW), number of maize leaves per plant at 50% tasseling (ANL/pt) and maize plant height at 50% tasseling (MPH@50%ts) were significantly (P≤ 0.01) affected by the main effects of variety and water conservation technique. All moisture contents of soil were significantly influenced by the varietal effect (except day 2 moisture content). The table of results for 2007 season (Table 3) indicates that grain yield was not significantly affected due to the main effect of variety. However, it was highly significantly (P≤ 0.01) affected by the main effect of water conservation technique. Above ground biomass (P≤ 0.01), average ear width (P≤ 0.05), day 1 % moisture content (P≤ 0.01), day 2 % moisture content (P≤ 0.05), day 4 and day 5 moisture contents (P≤ 0.01) were also affected significantly by the main effect of water conservation approaches.