Abstract
Field studies were conducted to measure the response of maize (Zea mays L.) and cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] to tillage and no-tillage with and without mulch on the heavy fine-textured Onverwagt clay of Guyana and the lighter textured Cunupia clay of Trinidad. Tillage treatments were imposed on 9-m, 6-m, and 3-m-wide cambered beds to assess the effect of field drainage. The aim was to develop a tillage management system from the results of the study that would allow all-year production of annual crops on clay soils under rainfed conditions of Guyana, which has a major and minor wet season annually, and of Trinidad, which has one intense wet season. In the major wet season in Guyana, germination of maize on Onverwagt clay was high on 3-m, 6-m, and 9-m-wide beds when the soil was tilled, but it was significantIy reduced (P = 0.05) on 6-m and 9-m-beds that were not tilled. Germination did not always reflect plant population at harvest. There was less seedling survival on the wider 6-m and 9-m beds than on the 3-m beds and, in particular, when the soil was not tilled. This influenced cob yields at harvest. Cob yields on 9-m beds of both till and no-till were low, and were generally the highest on 3-m beds. Tillage of 6-m beds also produced high yields. The amount of rainfall during the crop also influenced plant growth parameters and cob yield. In the minor wet season, 9-m-wide beds on Onverwagt clay were not as detrimental to plant survival and cob yield, and tillage significantly (P = 0.01) increased cob yields. When cowpea was grown on 3-m-wide beds on Onverwagt clay, there were no significant differences in plant growth parameters and grain yield in the major and minor wet seasons, and between till and no-till. On the lighter Cunupia clay, cob yield was highly depressed (P = 0.01) by no-tillage on 9-m beds when the rainfall was intense but it was only significantly depressed (P = 0.05) when the rainfall was less intense. When cowpea was grown on 6-m beds on Cunupia clay, there were no significant differences in plant parameters including yield between till and no-till. The results indicated that the appropriate selection of crop, bed width, and tillage management can permit annual crops to be grown all year round on heavy and light textured clay soils under the rainfall regimes of Guyana and Trinidad
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Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
Germination of maize was significantly reduced on 6-m and 9-m beds that were not tilled, compared with tilled soil.
- Treatment
- 6-m and 9-m-beds that were not tillede1
- Outcome
- germinatione1
- Direction
- reducede1
- Comparator
- tillede1
- Setting
- Guyanae2
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the response of maize (Zea mays L.)”
e1“germination of maize on Onverwagt clay was high on 3-m, 6-m, and 9-m-wide beds when the soil was tilled, but it was significantIy reduced (P = 0.05) on 6-m and 9-m-beds that were not tilled”
e2“In the major wet season in Guyana”
Claim · model-written summary
Germination of maize was high on 3-m, 6-m and 9-m beds when the soil was tilled.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the response of maize (Zea mays L.)”
e1“germination of maize on Onverwagt clay was high on 3-m, 6-m, and 9-m-wide beds when the soil was tilled, but it was significantIy reduced (P = 0.05) on 6-m and 9-m-beds that were not tilled”
e2“In the major wet season in Guyana”
Claim · model-written summary
Germination did not always reflect the plant population at harvest.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the response of maize (Zea mays L.)”
e3“Germination did not always reflect plant population at harvest”
Claim · model-written summary
Seedling survival of maize was lower on the wider 6-m and 9-m beds than on 3-m beds, especially without tillage.
- Treatment
- wider 6-m and 9-m bedse4
- Outcome
- seedling survivale4
- Direction
- lesse4
- Qualifier
- when the soil was not tillede4
- Comparator
- 3-m bedse4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the response of maize (Zea mays L.)”
e4“There was less seedling survival on the wider 6-m and 9-m beds than on the 3-m beds and, in particular, when the soil was not tilled”
Claim · model-written summary
Cob yields of maize on 9-m beds were low for both tilled and no-till plots.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the response of maize (Zea mays L.)”
e5“Cob yields on 9-m beds of both till and no-till were low”
Claim · model-written summary
Cob yields of maize were generally highest on 3-m beds.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the response of maize (Zea mays L.)”
e5“Cob yields on 9-m beds of both till and no-till were low”
e6“and were generally the highest on 3-m beds”
Claim · model-written summary
Tillage of 6-m beds produced high maize yields.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the response of maize (Zea mays L.)”
e7“Tillage of 6-m beds also produced high yields”
Claim · model-written summary
Rainfall during the crop influenced plant growth parameters and cob yield of maize.
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the response of maize (Zea mays L.)”
e1“The amount of rainfall during the crop also influenced plant growth parameters and cob yield”
Claim · model-written summary
In the minor wet season, 9-m beds on Onverwagt clay were not as detrimental to maize plant survival and cob yield.
- Treatment
- 9-m-wide bedse1
- Outcome
- plant survival and cob yielde1
- Direction
- not as detrimentale1
- Qualifier
- In the minor wet seasone1
- Setting
- Onverwagt claye1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the response of maize (Zea mays L.)”
e1“In the minor wet season, 9-m-wide beds on Onverwagt clay were not as detrimental to plant survival and cob yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Tillage significantly increased maize cob yields in the minor wet season.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the response of maize (Zea mays L.)”
e1“tillage significantly (P = 0.01) increased cob yields”
Claim · model-written summary
Cowpea on 3-m beds showed no significant differences in growth and grain yield between major and minor seasons or between tillage treatments.
- Taxon
- cowpea
Vigna unguiculatae0 - Treatment
- 3-m-wide bedse0
- Outcome
- plant growth parameters and grain yielde0
- Direction
- no significant differencese0
- Comparator
- till and no-tille0
- Setting
- Onverwagt claye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When cowpea was grown on 3-m-wide beds on Onverwagt clay, there were no significant differences in plant growth parameters and grain yield in the major and minor wet seasons, and between till and no-till”
Claim · model-written summary
No-tillage on 9-m beds strongly depressed maize cob yield on Cunupia clay when rainfall was intense.
- Treatment
- no-tillage on 9-m bedse1
- Outcome
- cob yielde1
- Direction
- depressede1
- Qualifier
- when the rainfall was intensee1
- Setting
- Cunupia claye1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the response of maize (Zea mays L.)”
e1“On the lighter Cunupia clay, cob yield was highly depressed (P = 0.01) by no-tillage on 9-m beds when the rainfall was intense”
Claim · model-written summary
No-tillage on 9-m beds depressed maize cob yield on Cunupia clay only significantly when rainfall was less intense.
- Treatment
- no-tillage on 9-m bedse1
- Outcome
- cob yielde1
- Direction
- depressede2
- Qualifier
- when the rainfall was less intensee2
- Setting
- Cunupia claye1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the response of maize (Zea mays L.)”
e1“On the lighter Cunupia clay, cob yield was highly depressed (P = 0.01) by no-tillage on 9-m beds when the rainfall was intense”
e2“it was only significantly depressed (P = 0.05) when the rainfall was less intense”
Claim · model-written summary
Cowpea on 6-m beds on Cunupia clay showed no significant differences in plant parameters including yield between till and no-till.
- Taxon
- cowpeaVigna unguiculatae0
- Treatment
- 6-m bedse0
- Outcome
- plant parameters including yielde0
- Direction
- no significant differencese0
- Comparator
- between till and no-tille0
- Setting
- Cunupia claye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When cowpea was grown on 6-m beds on Cunupia clay, there were no significant differences in plant parameters including yield between till and no-till”
Claim · model-written summary
Appropriate selection of crop, bed width and tillage management can permit annual crops to be grown all year round on heavy and light clay soils under the rainfall regimes of Guyana and Trinidad.
Verbatim
e0“The results indicated that the appropriate selection of crop, bed width, and tillage management can permit annual crops to be grown all year round on heavy and light textured clay soils under the rainfall regimes of Guyana and Trinidad”
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