In a 7-year study of eight summerfallow treatments, the percentage of erodible soil (soil particles < 0.84 mm in diameter) at the completion of tillage in the fall, and prior to preseeding tillage the following spring, was significantly influenced by the summerfallow method. The Wood Mountain clay loam soil studied was significantly less erodible in the spring than it was the previous fall, indicating overwinter aggregation of the erodible fraction.

Twenty years' results shou'ed that 37 per cent of the over-lvinter precipitation at Swift Current was conserved in stubbie fields and 9 per cent in fallo',v. Further analysis showed that rainfall and snorvfail were conserved equally rve11 in stubble but that conservation in fallolv rvas rnostly from rainfall. Much of the snow was blown from the fallow and accumulated in the stubble.Fali moisture rvas also a factor, in that each inch of moisture stored in the soil in the fa[1 reduced the over-winter conservatiou by approximately 0.2 inch.Nine years' results rvith fall cultivation on stubble showeC that one-way diskilg after han'est reduced the winter storage in 3 years out of 9. Apparently any gain in moisture conservation from the removal of v"'eed growth 'was more than offset by reduced snow accumulation during the rvinter.Blade tillage in the fall resulted in greater moisture storage at seed-time in 1 year out of 9.

Mouldboard ploughing of stubble land in preparation for a second consecutive wheat crop was compared with surface tillage for effect on common rootrot and yield in a study at the Experimental Farm, Swift Current, Sask., during the years 1951–58. Ploughing was found to be effective in reducing the incidence of rootrot in the seedling stage. As the season advanced increasing numbers of plants became infected and by maturity of the crop differences between ploughing and surface tillage frequently had disappeared. In general, yields were not significantly increased by ploughing.

ABSTRACT

No abstract

ABSTRACT

not available

Saskatchewan. Can. J. plant Sci. 58: '739-743.Wheat was sown in standing stubble without prior tillage using a discer, a triple-disc drill (coulter-equipped double-disc drill), a hoe-drill, und u hoE-drill with rod weeder attachment at Saskatoon