War on Crop Residue

War on Crop Residue

Soil Management

2017 marks my 40th year in the business of soil management. In 1977 when I started working s a soil scientist, there was still a big question as to the effects of conservation tillage on crop yields. Farmers led the way in proving that top yields could be had even with high surface residue. In the past year, I have noticed that there seems to be a war on residue.  Tours at John Deere and Greg Sauder's Yield Center 360 both unveiled tillage equipment that looks to imitate moldboard plowing without moldboard plowing.  Burying residue seems to be becoming accepted management.It was refreshing last week to attend the National No-Till conference and see that there are still people out there that are interested in leaving residue on the surfacefor soil health benefits and erosion control.

Last week I read an Article in October Prairie Farmer "Residue Impacts on Corn Yield". The Article list 5 problems with crop residue that I will attempt to debunk.

1. Residue saps moisture.  While residue sticking down into the planting slit can wick moisture, a well adjusted planter will overcome that issue easily. Residue other than in the planting slit covers the soil and conserves moisture. 

2. Insulation effect.  Residue can keep soil temperatures lower than bare soil. This issue can be overcome two ways.  One, light vertical tillage can cut up residue and get it to decompose a bit to get some bare soil.  Two, Row cleaners move trash away from the planting area allowing soil to warm up as needed when seeds are planted.  The added bonus of the insulation effect is that as temperatures rise into the summer, crop residues keeps ground and field temperatures closer to ideal.

3. Toxic Environment. They say that too much decomposing residue adds toxins to the soil.  Residue on the surface is not a problem.  Incorporated residue could be a problem, especially in a corn on corn situation.  Rotate to a different crop.

4. N and P Stealer.  There are lots of ways to overcome this. Adequate P levels in the soil will reduce P tie-up.  Nitrogen may be tied up, but once again. adequate fertilizer N will help to make nitrogen available when the crop needs it.  Residue on the surface is not the culprit.  Cover crops can also help. 

Responsible Nutrient Management

Responsible Nutrient Management

cover crops Nutrient Management Soil Management

We have spent the past three days at the National No-Till Conference in St. Louis.  Not only is this a great No-Till Conference, but it is a great crop production conference.

At the Luncheon on the first day, Responsible Nutrient Management Practitioners we awarded for their diligence in taking care of their soil nutrient levels.  Jason Carter, Mike Werling, and Mike Taylor were recognized for their nutrient management programs.  Jason Carter is using chicken litter to build his soils up.  His program also includes annual soil testing to measure progress.  As his soil has improved, he has cut back on chicken litter.

Mike Werling is looking at economics and applying fertilizer at modest rates to maximize profits.  He soil tests every three years.  Cover cr ops are also a component of his program.  Werling uses less than one pound per bushel of corn to produce high yields economically.

Mike Taylor makes sure his soil tests correlate with soil types on his farm.  He also uses cover crops and lower than average fertilizer rates to produce higher than average yields.  He uses variable rate technology as appropriate and also applies in row fertilizer to spoon feed his crops.  He is using No-till and cover crops to improve organic matter levels on the topsoil.

Prairie Dogs

Prairie Dogs

Soil Management

Today I ran across and article on Soil Change Induced by Prairie Dogs across Three Ecological Sites.  The Link is too the abstract, but the full article is available.  It is not really surprising that prairie dogs affect the soil. Animals can be a big part of soil formation in some of our soils.  Our rich prairies soils are not only affected by rodents, but by ants and worms as well.  I have seen worm casts as deep as 12 feet in well drained soils. (THat was as deep as we could get with the probe truck)  The animals mix the soil, move the nutrients, and breack down the organic matter so that nutrients are more available to plants.  Huge ant hills in prairies lead us to believe that ants also played a big role in formation of prairie soils. THe photo was taken last summer while on vacation at Caprock Canyons State Park near Quitaque, Texas. There is a large colony of prairie dogs right next to the road.  We had a great time watching them and trying to get a decent photo. 

Prairie Dog

Value of Soil Testing

Value of Soil Testing

Soil Management soil sampling

No-Till Farmer recently shared a study out of Kansas State on the  Economic Reurn of  Soil Testing. With low prices, you may be looking for ways to cut back.  Soil testing and consulting may be one of those things you are considering.  The Kansas State Data suggest you actually get  better return on soil testing when crop prices are low.