For most operations, field-size equipment will be used. The 1996-97 crop year marked the successful establishment of all appropriate crop rotation cycles. The annual precipitation in this normal 11-inch rainfall zone was 16 to 17 inches and enabled all crops to produce excellent yields. The importance of preserving surface field residues to prevent soil erosion is well-known, however, information on how to manage existing crop residue is limited. The soil surface residue in no-till systems affect the amount of soil erosion, nutrient availability, soil structure, soil temperature, water evaporation, microbial activity, and pest incidence.
Little information is present regarding cultivar and species affect on the above parameters.
Plant residue samples were collected at harvest in 1996 and 1997 for several varieties of winter wheat, spring wheat, and spring barley and analyzed for their fiber contents. The first portions to degrade are the soluble carbon compounds, then hemicellulose, cellulose, and then lignin. Using fiber analyses, there was significant differences in the amounts of soluble carbon, hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin among the cultivars of spring wheat, spring barley, and winter wheat. At all sampling times, there was a difference in the rate of straw decomposition among species and cultivars. Thus far, for most of the straw analyses, high cellulose and low lignin content indicate rapid straw decomposition.