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8. Crop residue management
Leaving last year's crop residue on the soil surface by limiting tillage. Includes no-till and ridge till.
| How it works |
Leaving last year's crop residue on the surface before and during planting operations provides cover for the soil at a critical time of the year. The residue is left on the surface by reducing tillage operations and turning the soil less. Pieces of crop residue shield soil particles from rain and wind until plants can produce a protective canopy.
| How it helps |
Ground cover prevents soil erosion and protects water quality.
Residue improves soil tilth and adds organic matter to the soil as it decomposes.
Fewer trips and less tillage reduces soil compaction.
Time, energy and labor savings are possible with fewer tillage trips.
| Planning ahead |
Will your crop produce enough residue?
Is crop residue management part of a planned system of best management practices?
Do you have the needed equipment?
| Tech notes |
Planning for residue cover begins at harvest. Ensure the combine spreads ample residues evenly over the field.
Reduce the number of unnecessary tillage passes. Every tillage pass buries more crop residue.
Use straight points and sweeps on chisel plows instead of twisted points. Twisted points can bury 20% more residue.
Set tillage tools to work at shallower levels.
| Measuring crop residues |
You can estimate residue levels by using a line that has 50 or 100 equally divided marks. Stretch the line diagonally across crop rows. Count the number of marks that have residue under the leading edge when looking from directly above the mark. Walk the entire length of the rope. The total number of marks with residue under them is the percent of residue cover. If the line has only 50 marks, multiply your count by two. Repeat this three to five times in a representative area of the field.7