Crop Residue Decisions Impact Soil Life

A research team at Louisiana State University AgCenter, in the U.S. Mid-South, conducted a study to determine the best way for farmers to manage crop residue between growing seasons. The research, shared by the American Society of Agronomy, compared the impact of no-till and prescribed fire management on soil nutrients and microbes.

“Both of these practices have minimal physical disturbance to the soil,” says Lisa Fultz, a researcher working on the project. However, both practices have drawbacks, as well.

The team focused on wheat and soybean rotations and continuous corn production systems. “These are common practices not only in the mid-south, but across many areas of the world,” explains Fultz.