Residue and tillage management effects of soil properties of a typic cryoboroll under continuous barley

Published source details Singh B., Chanasyk D.S., McGill W.B. & Nyborg M.P.K. (1994) Residue and tillage management effects of soil properties of a typic cryoboroll under continuous barley. Soil and Tillage Research, 32, 117-133.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Amend the soil with fresh plant material or crop remains Action Link
	Change tillage practices Action Link

Amend the soil with fresh plant material or crop remains

A randomized, replicated experiment in 1979-1988 on clay loam in Alberta, Canada (Singh et al. 1994) found higher soil organic carbon (5.81%) under no tillage plus straw mulch and with tillage plus straw incorporation (5.79%) compared to tillage with no straw treatment (5.5%). Differences between treatments became less pronounced with increased soil depth. Soil aggregates were 38% larger in no tillage plus straw than tillage plus straw treatments, and 175% larger than tillage with no straw. The wind-erodible fraction of soil aggregates (aggregates smaller than 1 mm diameter) was smallest (16%) in no tillage plus straw (meaning soil structural stability was higher), followed by tillage plus straw (29%) compared to tillage with no straw (49%). The effects of tillage and straw remains were not separated. Three tillage and straw treatments were applied to a spring barley Hordeum vulgare crop. Treatments included: no tillage (direct seeding) and straw retained on the soil surface; tillage (rotavation to 10 cm depth in autumn and spring) and straw incorporated into topsoil; and tillage with straw removed. Individual plots measured 6.8 x 2.7 m and were replicated four times. Nitrogen was applied at 56 kg N/ha in all treatments. Soils were sampled to 5 cm depth.
Change tillage practices

A randomized, replicated experiment in 1979-1988 on clay loam in Alberta, Canada (Singh et al. 1994) found higher organic carbon content under no-till plus straw (5.81%) compared to tillage plus straw incorporation (5.79%) and tillage no straw treatments (5.5%). Differences between treatments decreased with increased depth. Soil aggregates were 38% larger in no-till plus straw than tillage plus straw, and 175% larger than tillage no straw. The wind-erodible fraction of soil aggregates (smaller than 1 mm diameter) was smallest (16%) in no-till plus straw (i.e. soil structural stability was higher), followed by tillage plus straw (29%) compared to tillage no straw (49%). Three tillage and residue treatments were applied to a spring barley Hordeum vulgare crop: no tillage (direct seeding), straw retained on surface, tillage (rotivation to 10 cm depth in autumn and spring), straw incorporated into topsoil, and tillage, straw removed. Individual plots measured 6.8 x 2.7 m and were replicated four times. Nitrogen was applied at 56 kg N/ha in all treatments. Soils were sampled to 5 cm depth.