THE EFFECT OF TILLAGE ON SOIL ORGANIC MATTER
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Tillage is identified as asset of operation performed on the soil to prepare seed bed, weed control, and improve soil properties for enhancing the burying residues, germination, growth and yield of crops as well as conservation soil moisture (FAO, 1989). Tillage can act a major new control on soil biogeochemical cycles by making available previously protected soil organic matter (SOM), which changes net nitrogen mineralization and gross nitrogen immobilization (Ladd et al., 1993).
Soil tillage has a major influence on the microbial activity, which influences soil aeration, moisture, and temperature (Larsen, 1967).Loss of soil organic matter (SOM) has been associated with tillage intensity. However, soil organic matter (SOM) loss due to tillage can be expected to be a function of soil type, climate and cropping practice (Lal et al., 1998).
A better understanding of soil organic matter (SOM) is vital for development of effective soil conservation practices. Recently concern for global climate change, however emphasizes the importance of conservation tillage and how it can implement in many soils to help reduce organic matter (OM) losses and hence increase soil organic matter (SOM). Conservation tillage has proved to have the potential for converting many soils from source to sinks of atmospheric nitrogen (Kern and Jonson, 1993). In this context, acritism of recent developments in the soil concept has been aimed at more clearly defining the role of soil organic matter (SOM) towards increasing agriculture productivity and environment quality (Sojka and up Church, 1999).
Tillage has been an important aspect of technological development in the evolution of agriculture, in particular in food production. The objectives of tilling the soil include seedbed preparation, water and soil conservation and weed control. Tillage has various physical, chemical and biological effects on the soil both beneficial and degrading, depending on the appropriateness or otherwise of the methods used. The physical effects such as aggregate-stability, infiltration rate, soil and water conservation, in particular, have direct influence on soil productivity and sustainability.
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