Tillage and Crop Residue Management During Seedbed Preparation for Continuous Spring Wheat1

Abstract

AbstractField experiments were conducted to determine the effect of four tillage and crop residue management methods of seedbed preparation on continuous spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) receiving four rates of applied N. Effects of tillage and surface‐crop residues were separated by seedbed treatments of (a) conventional moldboard tillage, (b) conventional stubble mulch tillage, (c) moldboard tillage with part of the surface residue removed before and replaced after tillage, and (d) moldboard tillage with all surface residue removed before and replaced after tillage. Treatments were evaluated relative to grain yields, yield components, dry‐matter production, N uptake, soil nitrate content, soil temperature, plant water use and weed populations. for 3 of 4 years average grain yields (for all N rates) were 1,380, 1,060, 1,380, and 1,330 kg/ha for treatments a, b, c, and d, respectively. Yield reduction with stubble mulch tillage was related to poor weed control (primarily green foxtail) and not to the effects of surface residue per se. Use of fertilizer N failed to overcome yield reduction associated with stubble mulch tillage.