|
Blue Earth, MN | I agree that stalks on the ground break down faster then in the air. But, the focus of my topic was to compare "mulching" in the residue vs. leaving it on top of the soil surface. It seems like when the residue is "mulched" in the soil, our row cleaners can't do anything with it and it flat out isn't breaking down as fast as it did 4-5 years ago. Come spring, we are forced to plant the seeds in an environment where the roots have to contend with the old residue for N. With strip tillage, the plant doesn't have to contend with as much residue in the root zone. Now, obviously there is still a good % of corn residue on the surface that it may have to contend with--that is where the moldboard plow has an advantage. But I will argue that sometimes that residue will protect the new seedlings from wind, rain, and other environmental factors. | |
|
Corn Residue Discussion Yesterday
