Effect of tillage system and nitrogen fertilization on yield and yield components of maize in Western Ethiopia

The western part of Ethiopia has a high maize production potential as a result of favourable environmental conditions. However, maize production is constrained by non-sustainable cropping practices, particularly plough- or hoe-based cultivation, soil and water loss due to erosion, as well as N deficiency. Experiments were therefore conducted to determine the integrated effects of tillage system and N fertilization on the productivity of maize from 2000 to 2004 at five sites. Three tillage systems (MTRR = minimum tillage with residue retention, MTRV = minimum tillage with residue removal and CT = conventional tillage) and three N levels (the recommended rate and 25% less and 25% more than this rate) were combined in factorial arrangement with three replications. The recorded grain yield in the experiments ranged from 4649 to 8030 kg ha−1 with an average of 6104 kg ha−1. Grain yield was positively and significantly correlated with several yield components, especially total biomass yield and thousand seed we...