Rainfed maize production upon three watter harvesting systems combining tillage and bovine manure

Abstract

The rainfall in Northeast Mexico regions is scarce and erratically distributed requiring a better and adequate management for agricultural use. To learn about this problem a study was made to increase soil's water availability to plants, combining three water catchment systems with three tillage procedure and with or without bovine manure addition. The experiment locations were El Bajio, site in the agricultural station, inside The Antonio Narro Agrarian University (UAAAN) in Saltillo, state of Coahuila, Mexico, and La Encantada, 6 miles South to UAAAN. Water stress tolerant maiz hybrid (AN-310) was the crop used. The experimental design was a split-split plot in randomized complete blocks, four replicates, with treatments arrangement of a 3X3X2 factorial. The tillage levels were: 1)subsoil-plough-harrow, 2)plough-harrow, 3)plough only; the water harvesting systems were: 1)normal furrowing, 80 cm apart each other, 2)modified furrow, 160 cm between them, with an individual dripping area, 3)water microcatchment of 6 furrows, 80 cm apart each other and a dripping area of 4.8 m wide. A ratio 1:1 for sown-dripping area was observed. Bovine manure soil incorporation dosage was 20 t ha!. El Bajio pluvial precipitation during the crop cycle was 350 mm, and 329 mm for La Encantada, both are insufficient for the crop water requirements which is 750 mm in those areas. The best treatment combination in El Bajio was the subsoil-ploug-harrow with modified furrow and bovine manure addition, where maize yield was 1953 kg ha1, ear basis, which is 74% higher tham traditional planting method. In La Encantada the best procedure was combining plowg-harrow with modified furrow and bovine manure, reaching 2033 kg ha11, amount 90% higher than yield average with the traditional method.