LAND PREPARATION, SOILAND WATER CONSERVATION, CROP ESTABLISHMENT AND WEED MANAGEMENT with emphasis on cotton and maize

MODULE 1: THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD LAND PREPARATION

This is the first of 7 training modules A GROUP EXTENSION GUIDE USING PICTURES
Cotton-maize - 1 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

Picture LP1: Weeds in a field of cotton

Question: Do you recognize the problems in this cotton field? Answer: Yes, it is full of weeds and yields will be very low Question: What other problems do you find in cotton? Answer: Problems of crop establishment, low soil fertility, drought, soil erosion, pests, diseases and low quality cotton

Explain that the discussions will involve six training modules

The importance of good tillage and alternatives for land preparation Alternatives for soil conservation Alternative methods of crop establishment Alternatives for weed control using mechanical methods Weed management using herbicides Testing and evaluating different alternatives
Cotton-maize - 2 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

Cotton-maize - 3 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

Picture LP2: Plant needs from soil

Question: What are the requirements for good crop growth? Answer: .Good soil, air, sunlight and rain ..

Explain
1) Good land preparation will help to produce a seed bed by crumbling and loosening the soil - This will help crop establishment and make it easier for a crop to grow and produce good yields Loosening the soil will also make it easier for plant roots to grow and produce stronger crops and better yields Good tillage will let air enter the soil to help plants grow strong
Cotton-maize - 4 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

2)

3)

Cotton-maize - 5 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

Picture LP3: Poor tillage resulting in a plough pan

Question: Do you recognise what this picture is? Answer: Soil that has been badly ploughed. Stunted plants and a plough pan.

Explain:
1) Poor tillage occurs when the soils are too wet, or when the soil has been cultivated to the same depth for a number of years. 2) Poor tillage can result in a dense compacted layer just below the depth of tillage. This is called a plough pan. 3) If crop residues and manure are not incorporated into the soil, this can result in hard, dry soils with low soil fertility, where crops give poor yields or even die. 4) Planting in poorly tilled soil will slow down crop establishment, reduce root and plant growth and give poor yields. 5) In hard soils, some plants may not be strong enough to grow and will die. This is because after rain, the soils are too wet and the crops are starved of air and once the soils dry out, the plant is starved of water, as the roots cannot grow through the plough pan. 6) Crops in poorly tilled soil which are weak, will suffer more from pests and diseases and give poor yields or die.
Cotton-maize - 6 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

Cultivation/Plough pan

Cotton-maize - 7 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

Picture LP4: Badly ploughed field

Question : Do you recognise what this picture is? Answer: A field that has been badly ploughed and weeds have not been buried properly.

Explain in this situation

Weeding has to be done earlier More labour is required for weeding Weeds provide a host for pests and diseases There is competition with the young crop

Cotton-maize - 8 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

Cotton-maize - 9 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

Picture LP5: Well tilled soil

Question: Do you recognise what this picture is? Answer: Soil that has been well prepared, healthy plants and no plough pan.

Explain
1) Good tillage will increase water infiltration into the soil. This will improve the moisture content of the soil and help crops to grow stronger and give good yields. 2) Poorly tilled soils will not hold water and will get very hot in the dry periods. This will give poor yields and the crop may even die. 3) Good tillage will incorporate crop residues and manure into the soil - This will improve the soil structure and make the soil more fertile which will help crops to grow strong and give good yields. 4) Good tillage will also help to control weeds, pests and diseases.
Cotton-maize - 10 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

Cotton-maize - 11 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

Picture LP6: Land preparation using an animal drawn plough

Question: Do you recognise what this picture is? Answer: This is a farmer ploughing his lands. Explain. Land preparation can take place 1) in early winter (April-June) on land that was fallow, or following a maize or groundnut crop, 2) late winter from June until the rains arrive, or 3) Spring ploughing after the rains have started Discuss which is best, and the situation in which it can be undertaken.
Some points to consider 1 A well prepared soil should have soil clods of many different sizes. This encourages water infiltration and reduces soil erosion. 2 A fine seed bed without soil clods of many different sizes will crust and cap easily under heavy rainfall. This will stop plants emerging, reduce water infiltration and encourage soil erosion. 3 If draught animals are used for land preparation, the quality of the tillage will depend on their training. Good tillage requires good training. Animals should be re-trained before the first rains so that they are ready to work well for land preparation and planting. 4 If draught animals are used for land preparation, animals are normally weak at the beginning of the rains and have had little food. Just before the rains begin give your draught animals extra feed to make them strong for tillage work. 5 The depth and width of the cut of the plough should be correctly set.
Cotton-maize - 12 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

Cotton-maize - 13 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

PICTURE LP7: EARLY WINTER PLOUGHING

Question: Do you recognise what this picture is? Answer: This is a farmer ploughing in early winter after maize or groundnuts. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of early winter ploughing Early winter ploughing is when you plough the land just after harvesting maize or groundnuts in March, April or May, when there is still some moisture in the soil and draught animals still have plenty of food and are strong. Winter ploughing allows Land to be prepared before the beginning of next rains and allows early planting The first rains to infiltrate into the soil well Crop residues to be incorporated into the soil to improve structure and fertility Better prevention of fires in fields Control of dry season weeds This method is suitable when following maize in the rotation. If weeds are a big problem, early winter ploughing will help to control them during the dry season. It will also help to conserve moisture from the last season. Early winter ploughing is normally carried out as soon as possible after the maize harvest in March/ April when the soil is still moist, easy to work and the draught animals are still in good condition.
Cotton-maize - 14 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

EARLY WINTER PLOUGHING

Cotton-maize - 15 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

PICTURE LP8: LATE WINTER OR EARLY SPRING PLOUGHING

BEFORE THE RAINS Question : Do you recognise what this picture is? Answer : This is a farmer ploughing in late winter, possibly after destruction of cotton residues. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of late winter ploughing
If

early winter ploughing is not possible because of the cotton harvest, then late winter or early spring ploughing from July onwards is an alternative. This is usually done after the cotton harvest, once the stalks have been destroyed. This helps to control weeds during the latter half of the dry season and helps to conserve soil moisture from any winter or early rains.

Late winter or early spring ploughing allows

Land to be prepared before the beginning of the next rains still allowing early planting Early rains to infiltrate into the soil well Any crop residues to be incorporated into the soil to improve structure and fertility Some control of any dry season weeds
Cotton-maize - 16 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

LATE WINTER or EARLY SPRING PLOUGHING

Cotton-maize - 17 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

PICTURE LP9: LATE SPRING PLOUGHING (AFTER RAINS)

Question: Do you recognise what this picture is? Answer: This is a picture of a farmer ploughing after the rains have started. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of spring ploughing. Spring ploughing is carried out in November and December, just after the onset of the first soaking rains. Spring ploughing may be carried out on already winter ploughed land or unploughed land. This method of land preparation will control the existing emerged weeds to make sure that cotton can be planted in a weed-free seedbed. If it is delayed well after the first soaking rains it will cause late planting with consequent yield reduction.

Spring ploughing
Allows land to be prepared at start of the rains Is often done at the same time as planting May means that the first rains are not used by the crop Incorporates some of the previous crop residues into the soil Controls weeds that have grown during the first rains and ensures a clean seedbed
Cotton-maize - 18 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

SPRING PLOUGHING
Cotton-maize - 19 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

PICTURE LP10: REDUCED OR MINIMUM TILLAGE OPTIONS Question: Do you recognise these pictures?
Answer: Opening planting lines with draught animals. Hand planting. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of reduced tillage. Reduced or minimum tillage aims to reduce the amount of soil disturbance by tillage to a minimum level and maximise the use of maize crop residues as a mulch to protect the soil from erosion and improve soil structure and fertility. It should however be noted this is only possible for cotton following a maize crop. Cotton residues need to be destroyed in order

Many of the reduced tillage problems that farmers are worried about including erosion, weeds, pests and diseases, can be overcome by using rotations, improved fallows and possibly cover crops. A Ripper can be used to break a plough pan or a soil cap and to open planting lines just before the onset of the rains, so that as much rainfall as possible infiltrates into the soil and erosion is minimised. It is important that planting lines, made with the plough or the ripper tine follow the contour. Use of ripper tines when the soil is too wet can lead to small clods being produced that encourage erosion. Implements designed for oxen may be too heavy for a single pair of donkeys.
Cotton-maize - 20 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation

REDUCED OR MINIMUM TILLAGE OPTIONS

Opening planting lines into residues of previous maize crop using a plough (Oxen or donkeys can be used to pull the plough)

Opening planting holes into residues of the previous crop

Cotton-maize - 21 - Module 1: Tillage and land preparation