Soil tillage: The implications on soil properties and maize production in Nigeria

There is an urgent need to match food production with increasing world population through identification of sustainable land management strategies. However, the struggle to achieve food security should be carried out keeping in mind the soil where the crops are grown and the environment in which the living things survive. Soil Tillage, the most important aspect of conservation agriculture, is thought to take care of the soil health, plant growth and the environment. This paper aims to review the work done on soil tillage in different agro-ecological regions so as to understand its impact from the perspectives of the soil and how it affects the maize production. Research reports have identified several benefits of soil tillage  on maize production with respect to soil physical, chemical and biological properties as well as crop yields. Therefore,  soil tillage involving different methods has potential to break the surface compact zone in soil with reduced soil disturbance offers to lead to a better soil environment and crop yield with minimal impact on the environment.