Pedosphere 8(3): 193--200, 1998
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©1998 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Effects of tillage management systems on residue cover and decomposition |
| ZHANG Zhi-Guo1, XU Qi2 and R. L. BLEVINS3 |
1 College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018 (China)
2 Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China)
3 Department of Agronomy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546 (USA) |
| ABSTRACT |
| The effects of tillage methods on percent surface residue cover remaining and decomposition rates of crop residues were evaluated in this study. The line transect method was used to measure residue cover percentage on continuous corn (Zea mays L.) plots under no tillage (NT), conventional tillage (CT), chisel plow (CH), and disk tillage (DT). Samples of rye (Secale cereale L.) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) were used for residue decomposition study. Results showed that the percentage of residue cover remaining was significantly higher for NT than for CH and DT and that for CT was the lowest (< 10%). For the same tillage system, the percent residue cover remaining was significantly higher in the higher fertilizer N rate treatments relative to the lower fertilizer N treatments. Weight losses of rye and vetch residues followed a similar pattern under CT and DT, and they were significantly faster in CT and DT than in NT system. Also, the amounts of residue N remaining during the first 16 weeks were always higher under NT than under CT and DT. |
| Key Words: crop residue, decomposition rate, no tillage, organic C, organic N |
| Citation: Zhang, Z. G., Xu, Q. and Blevins, R. L. 1998. Effects of tillage management systems on residue cover and decomposition. Pedosphere. 8(3): 193-200. |
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