Effects of residues on earthworms - R013
Comparison of the oxygen status of a wet soil drilled with two different no-tillage openers.
Personnel:
Dr A. D. Chaudhry & Dr C. J. Baker
Massey University, NZ (1988)
Ref. Soil & Tillage Res. 11, 43-61
Equipment:
CROSS SLOT®no-tillage openers.
Double disc no-tillage openers.
Conclusions:
The CROSS SLOT® opener created a zone of high soil oxygen status (lighter shading on diagram) alongside the slot zone where surface residues and earthworms were present.
The double disc opener created a zone of low soil oxygen status (darker shading on diagram) alongside the slot zone regardless of whether or not surface residues were present.
CROSS SLOT®openers, earthworms and surface residues maximised barley seedling emergence in a wet soil (see R015) whereas double disc openers impeded seedling emergence in the same conditions.
