Corn and Soybean Residue Covers Effects on Wheat Productivity Under No-Tillage Practices

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) grain yields under no-till production systems have been shown to be reduced in the presence of maize (Zea maysL.) residues. It has been suggested that sowing a greater density of wheat seeds or removing maize residues from the planting rows contributes to avoid this problem. However, the causal factors and the mechanism that produce reductions in wheat yields are no clearly defined. Our objective was to determine the effects of different volumes of maize or soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merrill] residues on no-tillage wheat establishment and production under field conditions on a Typic Hapludoll from the Pampas region of Argentina. The study was performed during the 2002, the 2003 and the 2004 growing seasons. Two treatments [residue volume (0, 4, 8 and 16 Mg ha^-1) and crop residue (maize and soybean)] were imposed after sowing wheat at low and high plant densities, 301 and 396 seed ha^-1, respectively). The previous crop was sunflower (Helianthus annusL.) and the residues were applied on the soil surface immediately after planting and fertilizing with 125 kg ha^-1of Nitrogen. Independently of the quality of the residues and the sowing density, wheat plants m^-2, spikes m^-2and grain yields ha^-1decreased when residue volume increased. In general, lower soil temperatures values and variability were observed when increasing the volume of residues. The presence of large amounts of maize or soybean residues causes the reduction in no-tillage wheat productivity (plant stand and numbers of spikes). However, only maize residues causes significant reductions in grain yields, independently of the seeding rate. The absence of significant differences in soil temperature measurements between residues allows us to think that the effects on surface soil temperature are not the main factor explaining the reduction in wheat grain yields in the presence of maize residues. Increasing the seeding rate can contribute to ameliorate the grain yield reduction in the presence of maize residues but further research is required for explaining the reasons for the behavior of the crop