Evaluation of Non-Thermal Residue-Removal Equipment used by Willamette Valley Seed Growers as a Substitute for Open-Field Burning

Recent legislation reducing open-field burning in Oregon has caused many grass seed producers to experiment with non-thermal residue management alternatives. On-farm test sites were selected to evaluate 4 post-harvest residue removal treatments common at 7 locations. Seed yield did not differ significantly when residue management treatments were applied to new stands of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) after harvest of the first seed crop. Control of weeds and volunteer crop seedlings was poorest where increased amounts of crop residue remained on the soil surface.