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Crop Residue Management
How it works
This is a year-round system beginning with the selection of crops that produce sufficient quantities of residue needed to meet goals of land user and may include the use of cover crops after low residue producing crops. Crop residue management includes all field operations that effect residue amounts, orientation, and distribution. Residue amounts are often expressed in a percentage but may also be in pounds.
Crop residue management is an umbrella term encompassing several different tillage systems including no-till, ridge-till, mulch-till, and reduced-till.
Conservation tillage - is any tillage and planting system that covers 30 percent or more of the soil surface with residue, after planting.
No-till/Strip-till - is where the soil is left undisturbed from harvest to planting except for strips up to 1/3 of the row width. The strips may involve only residue disturbance or may include soil disturbance. Planting is accomplished using disk opener, coulters, in-row chisels, etc. Weed control in accomplished primarily by herbicide.
Ridge-till - is where the soil is left undisturbed from harvest to planting except for strips up to 1/3 of the row width. Ridges are usually built 6-8 inches high and build when the crop (corn) in 12-18 inches high during row cultivation or after harvest. The ridges are preserved and the crop planted on the ridge every year.
Mulch-till - is full width tillage involving one or more tillage strips which disturbs all of the siol surface. Mulch till is done prior to and/or during planting. Tillage tools such as chisles, field cultivators, disks, etc. are used. Weed control is often accomplished by additional tillage and/or herbicides.
Other tillage types include reduced tillage where 15-30% residue remain after planting. This method is also a full width tillage method. Conventional tillage is where less that 15% residue remains after planting and generally involves plowing or multiple passes with other tillage equipment.
How it helps
- Conservation tillage helps by reducing both wind and water driven soil erosion which improves water and air quality.
- Increases soil organic matter.
- Traps soil moisture to improve water availability.
- Improves wildlife habitat and provides cover for game birds and other small animals.
- Reduces labor, saves time, reduces fuel consumption, reduces machinery wear.
Links to NRCS Standards & Specifications:
Mulch Till
No Till & Strip Till
Ridge Till
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