Influence of tillage depth of a cultivator on the incorporation of crop residues of winter barley in a chernozem soil

Although crop residues contribute to erosion control, the influence of the tillage depth (TD) on their incorporation has not been studied extensively. The main objective of this study was to determine the differences in the amount and distribution of incorporated crop residues and surface residue coverage if the TD of a cultivator is varied (0.10, 0.20, or 0.30 m). The experiment was carried out on a chernozem soil with winter barley residues in 2016 in Groß-Enzersdorf (Lower Austria). Individual soil cores, each 0.05 m long, were removed using a special device. No significant differences were observed for the incorporated crop residues up to a depth of 0.35 m between the three TDs. The mean values of the incorporated crop residues at a TD of 0.10, 0.20, or 0.30 m were 11.64, 13.30, and 10.82 t/ha, respectively. The distribution of crop residues in the individual depth segments (DSs) showed a main concentration of more than 90% at a depth of 0.10 m and a significant decrease in deeper layers. This stratification was independent of the TD. Therefore, a shallower TD is sufficient for straw management on a chernozem soil in the production area of Marchfeld, which also enables a reduction in draft and, consequently, fuel consumption and processing costs.