Wheat Straw Decomposition in the Field

Smith, J.H. and Douglas, C.L. (1971) Wheat Straw Decomposition in the Field. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings. 35(2):269-272.

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Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivium) varieties 'Nugaines' and 'Lemhi'
were grown on Portneuf silt loam soil with three nitrogen and
three irrigation treatments in 1967. After harvest, 84 kg N/ha
was applied to half of each plot before plowing. Uniform
straw samples were enclosed in fiberglass cloth bags and
buried in the plots September 7. The straw placed in N-treated
plots received sufficient N in solution to increase the straw N
from about 0.29 to 1.5%. Straw samples were recovered November
15, after the soil had cooled below 4C, and at three
later sampling dates to October 3, 1968, after a bean crop
(Phaseolus spp.) was harvested. Weight loss and total N were
determined on all samplings and total C on the first sampling.
Decomposition was greater with N than without it for the
November sampling and the March sampling for Nugaines but
not at other samplings for both varieties. The weight of N in
both N-treated straw varieties decreased 55% by November 15,
while in the non-N-treated Nugaines and Lemhi straw, N
weight increased 12 and 32%, respectively, by March 22. Later,
N moved out of all the straw samples when the N percentages
were much lower than the theoretical equilibrium value.

Item Type:	Article
NWISRL Publication Number:	0167
Subjects:	Mass Import - unclassified
Depositing User:	Dan Stieneke
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2010 21:50
Last Modified:	07 Mar 2017 23:10
Item ID:	184
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/184