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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pendleton, Oregon » Columbia Plateau Conservation Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #151633
Title: MACHINERY AND STUBBLE MANAGEMENT

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

Submitted to: Proceedings of the 11th Annual Western Australia No-Tillage Farmers Association Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/24/2003
Publication Date: 3/4/2003
Citation: SIEMENS, M.C., WILKINS, D.E., CORREA, R.F. MACHINERY AND STUBBLE MANAGEMENT. In Proceedings of the 11th Annual Western Australia No-Tillage Farmers Association Conference. pp. 27-28. Perth Western Australia, 4-7 March 2003. Belmont, Western Australia:WANTFA.

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, causing 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, 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. 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. 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. The study also showed that adequate stand establishment, plant growth and yield in direct seeded, annual crop winter and spring wheat can be obtained in heavy residue when the straw and chaff are spread uniformly and chopped into small (<15 cm) pieces. Implementing the successful equipment selection and residue management techniques found in this study will help increase the profitability and therefore adoption 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, various methods of mechanically manipulating crop residue during and post harvest were evaluated to determine their effect on no-till drill performance. The study was conducted in 2000 on a site that yielded 5.7 t/ha of winter wheat the previous year and had approximately 10 t/ha of residue. Residue management methods 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. Spring and winter wheat plots were laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications and eight treatments in each block. All plots were 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. Results of the study showed that 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 (<15 cm) 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 in annual crop winter and spring wheat, however adequate performance can be obtained if residue is carefully managed.