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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pendleton, Oregon » Columbia Plateau Conservation Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #156051
Title: RESIDUE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR DIRECT SEEDING

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

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Direct Seeding Advantage Workshop
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/7/2003
Publication Date: 11/18/2003
Citation: SIEMENS, M.C., WILKINS, D.E., CORREA, R.F. RESIDUE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR DIRECT SEEDING. In PROCEEDINGS OF REDUCED TILLAGE LINKAGES DIRECT SEEDING ADVANTAGE WORKSHOP, P. 18-26. NISKU, ALBERTA, 18-19 NOVEMBER. EDMONTON, ALBERTA: REDUCED TILLAGE LINKAGES. 2003.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Crop residue on the soil surface makes uniform seedling establishment difficult in conservation tillage systems. To address this issue, a drill attachment 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 12 ft wide hoe-type no-till drill with 12 in. 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.