Stubble management
Management Activity
The term stubble refers to the short stalks and detached leaf material left behind in a paddock once the crop has been harvested. Sugar cane stubble is referred to as trash or a trash blanket. Stubble can be retained, grazed, incorporated into the soil, burned or removed from the site (e.g. hay making). Each stubble management method has advantages and disadvantages.
Stubble retention may result in the direct impacts of:
- Maintained ground cover
- Increased pest animals
- Increased plant available water
- Reduced crop emergence
- Soil nutrient build-up
Stubble grazing and removal from site may result in the direct impacts of:
Stubble incorporation may result in the direct impacts of:
Stubble burning may result in the direct impacts of:
- Reduced ground cover
- Soil nutrient loss
- Soil organic matter loss
- Soil organism loss
- Reduced pest numbers
- Reduced invasion of production system weeds
- Increased soil acidity over time
- Increased greenhouse gas emission
Last updated: 04 November 2008