Double-Cropped Soybean Response to Various Wheat Stubble Managements

Abstract

Varying responses to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) stubble management preceding double-crop soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] have been reported; however, little work has been done in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The objectives of this study were to observe the effects of wheat stubble management (WSM) on physiological growth and yield characteristics for double-cropped glyphosate-resistant soybean, soil moisture retention and soil surface shading, monitor weed response characteristics, and to perform a simple economic analysis comparing the four WSM treatments. Soybean plant height, lowest pod height, and soil surface shading were greater in the 30 cm stubble treatment; however, there was no plant lodging or yield response to WSM, and soil moisture contents were unaffected due to the ample rainfall that was received during 2003 and 2004. As a result, 15 cm stubble with the straw removed via baling was found to be the most economically profitable treatment.