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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pendleton, Oregon » Columbia Plateau Conservation Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #151550
Title: EFFECTS OF THE RESIDUE MANAGEMENT WHEEL AND OTHER RESIDUE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ON DIRECT SEED DRILL PERFORMANCE

Author
item Siemens, Mark
item Wilkins, Dale
item Correa, Robert
item Wuest, Stewart

Submitted to: 2003 Proceedings of the Northwest Direct Seed Cropping Systems Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/12/2002
Publication Date: 1/8/2003
Citation: SIEMENS, M.C., WILKINS, D.E., CORREA, R.F., WUEST, S.B. EFFECTS OF THE RESIDUE MANAGEMENT WHEEL AND OTHER RESIDUE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ON DIRECT SEED DRILL PERFORMANCE. IN PROCEEDINGS OF THE NORTHWEST DIRECT SEED CROPPING SYSTEMS CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW. PP. 75-89. PASCO, WA, 8-10 JAN 2003.

Interpretive Summary: Crop residue on the soil surface makes uniform seedling establishment difficult in conservation tillage systems. In heavy crop residue, hoe-type no-till drills tend to rake the residue and cause drill plugging, eliciting operator frustration and reducing productivity. They also tend to cause large clumps of residue to form, which cover the seed row and choke out young seedlings. To address this issue, two drill attachments and various methods of mechanically manipulating crop residue during and post harvest were investigated to determine if any of these methods would help improve no-till drill performance. One of the drill attachments investigated was a USDA-ARS patented residue management wheel, the other a smooth coulter. Residue management methods evaluated included leaving tall standing stubble, chopping the residue into pieces of varying lengths, using chaff and straw spreader and choppers, disking, and removing the residue by baling. Use of the residue management wheel was found to increase the stand establishment of canola and mustard by over 40 percent and wheat and barley by 17 percent. Using the device also showed trends to increase yield by 6-8 percent. Other results of the study showed that residue management method can affect no-till drill stand establishment and crop yield by as much as 40 percent and 20 percent respectively. Adequate stand establishment, plant growth and yield can be obtained in heavy residue, however when straw and chaff are spread uniformly and chopped into small (<6 in.) pieces. Educating growers about successful equipment selection and residue management methods will help increase the adoption and profitability of soil and water conservation farming practices.

Technical Abstract: Crop residue on the soil surface makes uniform seedling establishment difficult in conservation tillage systems. To address this issue, two drill attachments and various methods of mechanically manipulating crop residue during and post harvest were evaluated to determine their effect on no-till drill performance. The residue management wheel drill attachment was intensively evaluated in 2000 and 2001 in Oregon and Washington while seeding a variety of different crops into wheat residue densities ranging from 1,600-9,800 lb/ac. Residue management methods were also investigated in 2000 and 2001 at two sites in Oregon where residue densities exceeded 9,000 lb/ac. Residue management methods evaluated included leaving tall standing stubble, chopping the residue into pieces of varying lengths, using chaff and straw spreader and choppers, disking, and removing the residue by baling. Plots were laid out in a randomized complete block design and seeded using a 3-m wide hoe-type no-till drill with 0.30 m row spacing. Drill performance was evaluated by recording stand establishment, plant growth and vigor and crop yield. Use of the residue management wheel was found to increase the stand establishment of canola and mustard by over 40 percent and wheat and barley by 17 percent. Using the device also showed trends to increase yield by 6-8 percent. Concentrated chaff rows, tall standing stubble and disking reduced stand establishment by as much as 40 percent and yield by 20 percent. In plots where straw and chaff were spread uniformly and chopped into small(< 6 in.) pieces, stand establishment, plant growth and crop yield were similar to plots where residue removed by baling. Residue management method can have a significant effect on no-till drill performance, however adequate performance can be obtained with proper residue management and equipment selection.