Influence of long-term wheat residue management on organic matter in an Avalon soil

This study was initiated to determine the influence of different wheat residue management practices, that were sustained for about 20 years, on the organic matter content of an Avalon soil in a long-term trial near Bethlehem in the Eastern Free State. The treatments were two methods of straw disposal (burned and unburned) × three methods of tillage (ploughing, stubble mulch and no tillage) × two methods of weed control (mechanical and chemical). Soil samples were collected at various depth intervals and organic C and total N, as indices of organic matter, were determined on these samples. The effect of either straw burning or weeding method on organic matter was small compared to that of tillage practice. A slightly higher organic C and lower total N content were measured in the unburned than burned plots to a depth of 450 mm. The tillage practices affected organic C and total N significantly in a similar manner to 100 mm depth with no-tilled plots having the highest organic matter content, followed in de...