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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pendleton, Oregon » Columbia Plateau Conservation Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #78618
Title: EFFECT OF ANNUAL BURN-NOTILL WHEAT ON SOIL ORGANIC MATTER CONTENT AND BULK DENSITY

Author
item Rasmussen, Paul
item Albrecht, Stephan

Submitted to: Pendleton Station Field Day
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/12/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Burning of cereal residues is quite controversial because beneficial and detrimental effects are quite difficult to establish. Burning can increase cereal yield under some cropping conditions, but if repeated consistently, has the potential to lower air quality and impair soil quality. Changes in soil quality take place very slowly, and requires long-term research to define and quantify. We measured changes in two soil quality indices, organic matter content and bulk density, after seven years of straw burning in a long-term experiment involving no tillage for wheat production. Straw burning did not affect either density or organic matter content during this time. However, in a related laboratory-incubation study, post-burn material had very low biological activity. This suggests that soil quality may eventually be impaired, but that it requires at least seven, and probably 15-20 years, for differences to be measurable. Long-term experiments, while expensive, are essential to measuring beneficial or adverse effects of agricultural practices on soil quality and the sustainability of agriculture in semi-arid regions.

Technical Abstract: Burning of cereal residues is quite controversial because beneficial and detrimental effects are quite difficult to establish. Burning can increase cereal yield under some cropping conditions, but if repeated consistently, has the potential to lower air quality and impair soil quality. Changes in soil quality take place very slowly, and requires long-term research to define and quantify. We measured changes in two soil quality indices, organic matter content and bulk density, after 7 years of straw burning in a long-term experiment involving no tillage for wheat production in a semi-arid region. Winter wheat alternated annually with spring wheat. Straw burning did not affect either density or organic matter content after seven years. However, in a related laboratory-incubation study, post- burn material had very low biological activity. This suggests that soil quality may eventually be impaired, but that it requires at least seven, and probably 15-20 years for differences to be measurable. Long-term experiments, while expensive, are essential to determining beneficial and detrimental effects of agricultural practices on soil quality and sustainability of agriculture productivity in semi-arid soils.