101 Questions answered
Stubble Management and Soil Moisture: Anchored Roots Matter More Than Height
It doesn’t seem to make much of a difference. A variety of studies have looked at this (see Table 5 in Developments in stubble retention). In most cases there was a little more water in soil under standing stubble than slashed stubble.
An important element is keeping the stubble roots anchored in the soil, which stabilises the soil and preserves pores and pathways for water to infiltrate.
Overall, crop residues slow air flow across the surface while providing some surface cover, which reduces evaporation. Water flow on the soil surface is also slowed down, which minimises erosion and gives the water more time to infiltrate.
