WATER QUALITY AND TILLAGE PRACTICES FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN A GUINEA SAVANNA ECOLOGICAL ZONE, KWARA STATE, NIGERIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/jees.2025.0202/001Keywords:
Environment, Pollution, Sustainability, Tillage, Water qualityAbstract
The study aimed to examine the effects of tillage methods on surface runoff, model the patterns and processes of surface water pollution associated with tillage methods, and predict the highest contributions of different agricultural land uses to the modelled features. The study was carried out at the Unilorin Teaching and Research Farm (UTRF), Ilorin, and the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), Idofian, during the 2015 and 2016 maize planting seasons. Traditional heap (T), Notill (NT), Plough/Harrow (PH), and Plough/Harrow/Ridge (PHR) tillage were applied to surface runoff plots. Treatments were replicated three times, yielding 12 plots per location. Samples of surface runoff were collected from experimental plots. Water physicochemical analysis was carried out using standard laboratory procedures. Data were subjected to Analysis of variance, Least Significant Difference, Tukeyʼs test, and Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The study reveals that 10 surface runoff physico-chemical parameters (e.g., nitrate at 0.001 and 0.001 mg/L in the seasons) were significant for NT and T. In contrast, seven (e.g., magnesium with 0.001 and 0.045 mg/l in 2015, 0.001 and 0.027 mg/l in 2016) were significant for PH and PHR at UTRF and NCAM sites. Also, the SWAT model showed that four of nine biophysical factors examined (sediment yield-10.54 metric tons/ha, groundwater amount-174.45GWQmm, organic nitrogen- 62.62kg/ha, and nitrogen in surface runoff -5.15kg/ha) were higher for T, while three (surface runoff amount- 374.42SURQmm, evapotranspiration-752.78ETmm, and soil loss-1.05USLE_LS) were higher for PH and PHR. The study concluded that tillage methods affect water quality. However, PH had a comparatively favourable effect on surface runoff. It is therefore recommended that PH be adopted to reduce water pollution and promote a sustainable environment.
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