Effect of Land Preparation on Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Yield and Yield Components in Northern State of Sudan

Abstract

Faba bean is the most important as food and cash crop in Sudan. It is grown as a winter crop under irrigation, almost exclusively in northern part of the country where suitable agro-climatic conditions prevail. An experiment was conducted in Northern State at Eldaba, latitude (18 03 06 N and 30 57 17 E) for two seasons. The objectives were to increase the production of faba bean by using a suitable tillage system for land preparation. A randomized complete block design with eight treatments and four replications were used. Different combination of moldboard plow, disk plow, chisel, disc harrow, leveler, ridger, animal drawn plow, in addition of zero-tillage were used in land preparation. The soil physical parameters of bulk density and infiltration rate were evaluated, in addition to crop yield and yield components. The statistical analysis showed a significant difference between tillage treatments. The treatment of chisel plowing + disc harrowing + leveling + ridging resulted in very highly significantly higher plant height (147.5 cm), while moldboard plowing + ridging resulted in very highly significantly lower plant height (116.2 cm). Moreover, the results showed that the very highly significantly higher grain yield was obtained with the use of chisel plowing + disk harrowing + leveling + ridging, followed by disk plowing + disc harrowing + leveling + ridging and then moldboard plowing + disc harrowing + leveling + ridging. However, the respective increase in crop yield compared to zero-tillage as control was found to be 35, 29 and 26 %. Moreover, leveling was found to be essential after any tillage operation for even distribution of water irrigation in the field. However, the economical analysis indicated that the chisel plowing + disk harrowing + leveling + ridging, disk plowing + disk harrowing + leveling + ridging and moldboard plowing + disk harrowing + leveling + ridging resulted in very highly significantly higher profit. Therefore, to enhance the production of faba bean, the treatment of chisel plowing + disc harrowing + leveling + ridging should be adopted for land preparation.