Species, herbicide and tillage effects on surface crop residue cover during fallow

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted at Lethbridge, Alberta from 1991 to 1993 to determine if commonly grown prairie crops differ in their rates of crop residue degradation during fallow and to assess the effect of herbicides and wide-blade tillage on loss of crop residues. The ranking of crop residue losses during fallow was lentil > canola > rye > barley > wheat > flax. High N content in residues usually increased the rate of biomass loss. Flax straw, perhaps because of its high lignin content, did not follow this pattern and was the most persistent of all crop residues.