Effect of Different Tillage Methods on the Growth and Yield of Pearl Millet under Rainfed Conditions

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted under rainfed conditions from July to September, during 2012 and 2013 cropping seasons at Agricultural Research Farm, Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri, Nigeria, to evaluate the effects of three varied tillage methods on the growth and yield of pearl millet. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three different treatments namely disc harrowing, disc harrowing followed by ridging and zero tillage, with four replicates arranged in a split-plot configuration. The results obtained eight weeks after of planting for the two growing seasons showed significance difference at 5% in plant height, stem girth, number of leaves per plant, tiller count, panicle length, grain weight per panicle and grain yield for disc harrowing followed by ridging as compared to the disc harrowing and zero tillage. Zero tillage treatment presented the worst growth and yield components parameters. There was no significant difference in pearl millet plant growth and yield components between the disc harrowing and zero tillage treatments. Thus, considering the soil and weather conditions, which the experiment was conducted, the optimum tillage practice for producing pearl millet variety is disc harrowing followed by ridging.