Understanding the influence of maize (Zea mays) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) growth period on some thermal and hydrological properties of two soils with textural class variation

Abstract

Adequate knowledge of soil processes is key to ensuring sustainability. Towards a better understanding of some thermal and hydrological processes that take place in the soil as a result of the growth period of maize and cowpea, a concurrent research was carried out in two different locations with soil textural variation (sandy clay loam and clay loam) at the Federal University of Technology, Akure. The treatment consisted of bare soil plot, cowpea plot, and maize plot arranged in a randomized complete block design in three replicates. The same weed management practice was carried out on all treatment plots throughout the duration of the study. Data were collected at 4 weeks after planting (WAP), 8 WAP, and 12 WAP, during which the dry bulk density, mass wetness, volumetric infiltration rate, saturated hydraulic conductivity, sorptivity, soil temperature, total energy emitted, wavelength of maximal radiation intensity, and energy flux were determined. The results showed that growing maize and cowpea had no significant influence (P > 0.05) on the soil properties measured in the SCL soil. However, significant difference was noticed in the CL soil at 8 WAP; the crops grown prevented the formation of excess soil seal and crust when compared to the bare soil plot. This study shows that soil textural property greatly influences hydrological and thermal processes in the soil during the maize and cowpea growth period.

Assessing combined effects of biochar concentrations and different fertilizer applications on physicochemical properties of a sandy loamy soil

“…Major et al (2012c) reported that the amendment of soil low in fertility with wood biochar at 20 t/ha increased the concentration of nitrate (NO -N) in the soil 3 solution. Akingbola et al (2021; reported that the ability of biochar to retain soil nutrients and improve the water-holding capacity of soil may have direct effects on increasing crop yield and water use efficiency.…”

“…Biochar is highly recalcitrant due to its condensed structure (Spokas et al, 2012) and is derived from the thermal decomposition of biomass in an environment with low or no oxygen at moderately low temperatures. Several studies have shown that biochar can ameliorate soil nutrients status, cation exchange capacity in the soil, soil structure, nutrient use efficiency, waterholding, nutrient-holding capacity, and saturated hydraulic conductivity, while decreasing soil acidity (Lehmann et al, 2006;Asai et al, 2009;Karhu et al, 2011;Akingbola et al, 2021Akingbola et al, , 2022. Increases in yield with biochar application have been reported for crops such as cowpea (Yamato et al, 2006), soybean (Tagoe et al, 2008), maize (Yamato et al, 2006;Rodríguez et al, 2009), upland rice (Asai et al, 2009), paddy rice (Shackley et al, 2011;Sokchea and Preston, 2011) and water spinach (Southavong et al, 2012).…”