Crop Residue Removal and Soil Productivity with No-Till Corn, Sorghum, and Soybean

Crop residues have been considered during the past decade as alternate energy sources to supplement dwindling fossil fuel sources and enhance energy independence in the United States. Agricultural scientists have demonstrated the importance of crop residues in reducing soil erosion, enhancing the soil physical environment for plant growth, and as a reserve for major crop nutrients. In eastern Nebraska, we evaluated the effects of various amounts of surface crop residues (aboveground dry matter remaining after harvest) on dryland production of no-till corn (Zca mays L.), sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], and soybean [Glycine mar (L.) Merrill] over a l y r period. Where crop residues were completely removed after harvest, average grain and residue yields of corn and soybean were 22 and 24% lower, respectively, than where residues were not removed. Removal of 50% or addition of 50% (150%) surface crop residues had little or no effect on crop yields compared to no removal