In-row residue management effects on seed-zone temperature, moisture and early growth of barley and canola in a cold semi-arid region ion northwestern Canada

Spring crop growth is often influenced by water stress and lower soil temperature in the northern Canadian prairies. Tillage system effects on soil temperature, moisture and establishment of barley and canola in silt loam and sandy loam soils in northern British Columbia were investigated in 1992 and 1993. The tillage systems were: no-tillage (NT), modified no-tillage where surface residue was pushed aside from a 7.5 cm zone above the planting rows (MNT), and conventional tillage (CT). The MNT and CT had higher weekly maximum and weekly mean seed zone temperatures than NT. Mean weekly maximum seed-zone soil temperature was 1.6degreesC lower in MNT and 3.7degreesC lower in NT than in CT during the first 10 weeks after planting (WAP) in 1992. Compared to NT and MNT, barley in CT was slow to establish during the first three WAP in the silt loam in 1992 and 1993, and in the sandy loam in 1992, due to early water stress from low rainfall. Barley emergence was delayed by 6 days in NT and I I days in CT in 1992 and by 3 days in NT and 7 days in CT in 1993 compared to MNT in the silt loam soil. Early in the growing season, barley growth was retarded more in the CT than NT and MNT at both sites. Canola growth was significantly improved in the MNT over that in the NT and CT in 1993. The MNT was more beneficial,for crop establishment during prolonged dry periods than CT, and for emergence and growth compared with NT under extremely wet soil conditions.