Residue Management Tactics for Corn Following Spring Wheat
2008
Anderson, Randy L.
Producers are interested in tactics for managing crop residues when growing corn after spring wheat. We compared five systems of managing spring wheat residues: conventional tillage, no-till, strip-till, cover crop (hairy vetch) with no-till, and cover crop with strip-till following spring wheat. Conventional tillage consisted of chisel plowing and disking, whereas strip-till consisted of tilling a 15-cm band centered on corn rows, which were spaced 76 cm apart. Plots were split into weed-free and weed-infested subplots. Grain yield in weed-free conditions did not differ among treatments. However, weed-free yield was nearly 40%% greater than weed-infested corn in conventional tillage. In contrast, weeds reduced yield only 15%% with strip-till. Weed density and biomass was twofold greater with conventional tillage compared with the no-till and strip-till treatments. Weed seedlings also emerged earlier with conventional tillage. Increased weed tolerance with strip-till may be related to fertilizer placement. Corn growth and tolerance to weeds in no-till systems may be improved if a starter fertilizer is placed in the seed furrow.Nomenclature: Corn, Zea mays L., hairy vetch, Vicia villosa Roth, spring wheat, Triticum aestivum L
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