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southern MN | I saw a university study that 'proved' there was a big loss of nutrients by burning the residue.
Trouble was, the squared off some square yards here and there, burned some, and compared the nutrients. The ash that floated away from the square yard was 'lost', so there was a lot of loss in the study.....
But in the real world, the whole field burns, or many acres. The ash mostly floats over 20 feet or 100 feet and lands again. It might move a little, but it is not lost to the farmer or to the field for the most part.
So I was not impressed with the study. It measured an independent square yard, not a real world field fire over several acres.
There is loss of organic matter of course.In my soils wouldn't be a big deal at all, in thin soils it might well be a big deal.
Paul | |
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Value Of Burnt Corn Stalks
