DETERMINATION OF SOIL MOISTURE CONTENT AND RELATED PARAMETERS FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN ZARIA

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Date
2007-03
Authors
BABA-KUTIGI, ADAMU NCHAMA
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Abstract
The capacitance probe (Diviner 2000), an electromagnetic based soil water content measuring instrument incorporates soil into an oscillator circuit to measure frequency. The International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA donated a capacitance probe to the Centre for Energy Research and Training, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. The Diviner 2000 had been used to determine soil water content and for planning irrigation scheduling for the soils of the Guinea Savannah during 2003-2005 seasons. Also, it was used to determine some physical and agronomical parameters for the test plant (maize variety, 95 TZEE-Y) obtained from the Plant Science Department, Institute for Agricultural Research, IAR, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. The physical parameters determined were density and hydraulic conductivity while the agronomic data are water use and nitrogen use efficiencies. Others were girth and heights of plants at different periods of growth and grain yield. The experiment was established in a field measuring 480m2, split into 4.0 x 5.0 m plots. There were six (6) treatment water applications using gravity method. They are: 3-days, 4-days, 5-days, 6-days, 7-days and 8-days (represented as T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6) respectively were identified and replicated four times giving a total of twenty four (24) plots using a randomized complete block design (RCBD). One polyvinyl chloride (PVC) access tube of not less than 50 cm was installed in the centre of each plots and measurements were taken daily over the growth season of March to June. The results obtained showed that the density and hydraulic conductivity were respectively 1.23- 1.35 gcm-3 and 0.745 - 0.971 cmh-1. The graphical presentations for soil water contents measured at the same depth and the grain yields obtained at three different seasons are similar. The treatment protocol, 5–days water application (T3) is suggested and preferred option for the production of this maize variety. This is due to the grain yield data and observed behaviour of the plants at the different growth phases in the field.
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BABA-KUTIGI, ADAMU NCHAMA A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN PHYSICS DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS FACULTY OF SCIENCE AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA NIGERIA. MARCH, 2007
Keywords
DETERMINATION,, SOIL MOISTURE,, RELATED PARAMETERS,, SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE,, ZARIA.
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