The introduction of animal traction into inland valley regions. 3. Different cultivation techniques for maize

Dijkman, J.T. and Lawrence, P.R. 1997. The introduction of animal traction into inland valley regions. 3. Different cultivation techniques for maize. The Journal of Agricultural Science 129(1):77-82.

Maize was grown in the upland areas surrounding an inland valley in central Nigeria in a randomized block experiment using six cultivation techniques (manual cultivation with a hand hoe (MC); ploughing in both directions to throw up a ridge (DPL); single ploughing with the seed placed on the ridge (SPL); ridging with a wooden, single tine, locally made ‘bush’ plough (BPL); single ploughing with the seed placed in the furrow (FPL) and ridging with a conventional ridger (RID) with or without pre-emergence herbicide (PEH) with two replicates. Initial cultivation times ranged from 29 to 70 h/ha (BPL<RID<SPL<FPL<DPL<MC). Total weeding time ranged from 220 to 512 h/ha (MC<DPL<RID<FPL<BPL<SPL) with PEH and from 431 to 763 h/ha (MC<SPL<DPL<RID<FPL<BPL) without PEH. Ox cultivation techniques were associated with higher weeding times and larger weed burdens. Total times for all field operations were 568–758 h/ha (MC<FPL<DPL<BPL<SPL<RID) with PEH and 791–870 h/ha (BPL<MC<SPL<DPL<RID<FPL) without PEH. Thus, although ox cultivation saved time at the most critical time of year (cultivation and planting), it did not save time overall.