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Soil Temperature and Direct Seeding
Author: Mirza N. Baig and Peter Gamache
Date Created: May 23, 2005
Last Reviewed: February 22, 2007
Direct seeding is a conservation practice system, and its benefits are well known worldwide. A characteristic of direct seeding is that it retains most of the crop residues on the soil surface. Crop residue insulates the soil and slows the rate at which thermal energy is exchanged between the soil and the atmosphere, and it results in slightly cooler soil temperatures. This cooler soil temperature has the potential to slow plant germination and emergence. The effect of cooler soil temperature on plant germination and crop emergence in direct seeding systems has been well documented for Manitoba and Saskatchewan; however, there was little or no information available for Alberta before 1996. Field experiments were conducted from 1996 to 1998 in black chernozemic soils at Fort Saskatchewan and Red Deer to evaluate soil temperature, seedbed moisture and crop emergence under direct-seed and conventional-till systems. This fact-sheet summarizes the major findings of this study and the implications for growers.  Click on the above pdf to download a detailed 6 page factsheet.