Description of practice
The practice of retaining crop residues involves keeping crop stubble on the field, rather than removing it. This can offer many benefits including increased soil organic matter, improved soil structure and plant nutrient cycling.
| Examples of how to retain crop residues | Further information (see Note below) |
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High stubble cutting heightHigh stubble cutting height is used to leave more organic material on the field and reduce the time taken to harvest the crop. For increased nutrient cycling and disease control the stubble is chopped and incorporated into the soil. |
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Stubble managementCrop residues are chopped and incorporated in the topsoil where they decompose. Properly used this leads to higher soil fertility and less disease. However, an excessive amount of stubble can obstruct subsequent seeding operations. |
»Akkerwijzer.
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Residue incorporationCrop residues are left on agricultural fields. Incorporating residues in the soil will enhance organic matter content and improve the soil structure. |
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Return process residuesProcess residues (such as husks, seeds, bagasse and roots) are returned to the field as fertilizers or animal fodder. |
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Note: Most of the Further information links are to a full description of the example in the WOCAT database. However sometimes the link may be to similar practices or a research paper. Occasionally the link is to a commercial product in which case it should be understood that this does not imply any endorsement of the product by iSQAPER.