QUANTIFYING THE EFFECT OF RESIDUE MANAGEMENT ON SOIL PROPERTIES AND YIELD IN MONTANA CROPPING SYSTEMS USING PRECISION AGRICULTURE TECHNIQUES

Commodities

• Agronomic: barley, canola, peas (field, cowpeas), wheat, other

Practices

• Crop Production: conservation tillage, continuous cropping, cropping systems, crop rotation, irrigation, stubble mulching
• Education and Training: decision support system, extension, on-farm/ranch research
• Soil Management: organic matter, soil chemistry, soil microbiology, soil quality/health

Management of crop residues is crucial in irrigated wheat and barley systems, where significant organic materials are produced. In Montana, irrigated farms have historically burnt crop residues to facilitate spring tillage and seeding and manage crop diseases. This practice has led to nutrient loss and decreased soil organic matter, as well as contributing to air pollution and harming beneficial soil organisms. In response to the limited research on the effects of crop residue return on soil nutrient stocks and grain yield in irrigated wheat and barley systems across Montana, this project will quantify sustainable alternatives to burning. Our study aims to (1) compare soil properties subjected to long-term residue burning versus alternative residue management practices in farmers’ fields, (2) compare crop yield quantity and quality subjected to long-term residue burning versus alternative residue management practices, (3) identify and recommend optimal residue management practices.

This study will take place in four fields near Fairfield and Power, Montana, where the practice of burning crop residue is common and has been practiced for many years. The experimental trial will be in a split-plot design, with each field having one or more 1-acre (approx. 0.4 ha) square trial plots, where residue burning will stop or be conducted depending on current management practices, while the remainder will implement the farm's current practice. This practice will vary between farms but will be consistent throughout the three-year experiment. Alternative residue management practice includes residue retention (no-till), residue incorporation (chopping the residues and tilling into the soil), and residue removal (collecting all the aboveground residues and clearing out the field).

(1) Compare soil properties subjected to long-term residue burning versus alternative residue management practices in farmers’ fields

(2) Compare crop yield quantity and quality subjected to long-term residue burning versus alternative residue management practices

(3) Identify and recommend optimal residue management practices.