Tillage and Rice Mill Wastes Mulch and Their Effects on Soil Properties and Yield of Cassava (manihot Spp.) on a Typic Psamment at Abakaliliki, Southeastern Nigeria

The experiment was undertaken using cassava (Manihot spp) to evaluate effects of different tillage practices and mulching (raised mulched bed, raised not mulched bed, flat mulched bed, flat not mulched bed, untilled mulched bed and untilled not mulched bed) on soil properties and cassava sprouting and yield in 2016 and 2017 planting seasons on a Typic psamment in Ikwo, Ebonyi State, Southeastern Nigeria. The experimental study is made up of six treatments, arranged in randomized complete block design and replicated four times. The results indicated significantly (P<0.05) higher (28.18 – 27.16%) GMC in beds mulched than corresponding values (17.10 – 15.26% and 16.20 – 15.10%) obtained in untilled mulched and untilled not mulched beds for both seasons. Results showed that available P, N, Ca and Mg were respectively higher (P<0.05) in mulched raised beds when compared to those of untilled mulched or untilled not mulched beds by 31 – 28%, 32 – 71%, 50 – 33%, 50 – 30%, 89 – 67% and 49 – 26%, 91–71%. At 28 DAP for 2016 and 2017 planting seasons results showed that 90–78% of the planted cassava cuttings sprouted between 14 – 17 days earlier in both tilled mulched beds and tilled not mulched beds compared to untilled mulched or untilled not mulched beds (5 – 48%). These were (P<0.05) 40 – 50% and 47–37% significantly higher in tilled mulched and tilled not mulched beds when compared to untilled mulched and untilled not mulched beds. At harvest (300 DAP), highest cassava tuber yield (7.5–7.3t ha-1) were obtained in raised mulched beds for 2016 and 2017. Cassava yields were (p<0.05) higher in raised mulched beds by 60 and 59% compared to their counterparts in untilled not mulched beds for the seasons. These findings imply that rice mill wastes mulch provide a good and conducive soil condition for cassava than unmulched or untilled environment and raised mulched beds to provide a more robust condition for cassava production relative to other treatments tested in this study.