IMPACT OF TILLAGE INTENSITY ON SOIL PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND QUALITY AND YIELD OF CASSAVA ROOTS (Manihot esculenta Crantz), ALGODÓN VARIETY, NUEVA GUINEA – RAAS

Abstract

The study was carried out in the National Institute of Agrarian Technology (INTA) Nueva Guinea from October 2005 to August 2006. The main objective was to evaluate the effect of four different soil preparation systems on soil physical properties, the growth, yield and quality of cassava root variety Algodón. Four soil tillage systems were studied: row subsoil plus ridge tillage (SE), terracing plus ridge tillage (GE), no tillage (CL), and animal traction (TA). The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design (BCA) with three replicates. The soil variables measured were: bulk density, soil density, soil porosity and water field soil capacity, and the plant growth and yield variables were: plant height, stem diameter, plant fresh weight, total roots per plant, number of exportable roots, length of exportable roots, diameter of exportable roots, weight of exportable roots, yield of exportable roots per hectare, yield of non exportable root per hectare and total root yield per hectare. The analysis of variance (ANVA) was made using the Statistic Analysis Systems software (SAS Institute V8) multiple mean comparisons for TUKEY with 5% of error. In the Animal Traction treatment (TA) were registered the lowest soil bulk density, the highest percentage of soil porosity distribution. The cassava plan reached the highest plant height, the highest stem diameter and the highest plant fresh weight in no tillage system (CL) followed by Animal traction (TA). The highest number of total cassava roots per plant was found in Animal traction system (TA) followed by no tillage system (LC). The highest number of exporter roots, the highest diameter of exporter roots and the weight of exporter roots were found in no tillage system (CL) followed by animal traction (TA). The highest total yield was reached by no tillage system (CL), also the yield of exporter roots and the yield of non exporter roots with a relationship of 76% of exportable roots.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/calera.v11i17.774

La Calera Vol.11 No.17, p.26-32