A novel method for measuring and evaluating spatial distribution of straw incorporated by rotary tillage

Straw incorporation after tillage plays an essential role in soil organic matter and fertility. Despite the importance of understanding the effect of tillage on straw distribution in the soil, an accurate method to measure and evaluate the spatial distribution of straw has not been developed. In this work, we proposed a method for quantifying straw distribution in soil following tillage. The approach uses a straw spatial coordinate digitizer, Pro/Engineer drawing software, and MATLAB visualization software. Straw of four different lengths was mixed into soil by a rotary tillage. Results indicated that the uniformity of straw spatial distribution decreased with the increase of straw length. T50 (50-mm straw length) had the greatest uniformity. As a result, it is recommended that straw be cut to 50 mm or shorter. This work offers a new insight into the quantitative analysis of straw spatial distribution in soil.