Farms.com Home   News

Be Aware Of Potential Problems With Fall Tillage

By Mahdi Al-Kaisi Professor of Soil Management/Environment

The current harvest season has provided excellent soil moisture conditions for harvesting with minimum impact on soil compaction if traffic control is practiced during harvest. Also, the dry soil condition offers good condition for applying anhydrous (if the soil temperature is right below 50oF), where soil closing after injecting the fertilizer is much more efficient to reduce ammonia losses and a good soil condition for storing water from precipitation.

 

Tillage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


However, these benefits can be reduced if fields are tilled. Soil tillage increases the potential for soil erosion and reduces water infiltration and subsoil recharge. Keeping crop residue on the soil surface this fall along with cover crops can increase water infiltration, reduce soil erosion, sediment and nutrient loss, contribute to soil organic matter, and improve soil quality. The uncertainty of weather conditions and the need for next season moisture requirements should be kept in mind when planning for the choice of tillage practice this fall.

 

Source: iastate.edu


Trending Video

A chain harrow is a game changer

Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

Did you know we also operate a small business on the homestead. We make homemade, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, hair and beard products in addition to offering our pasture raised pork, lamb, and 100% raw honey. You can find out more about our products and ingredients by visiting our website at www.mimiandpoppysplace.com. There you can shop our products and sign up for our monthly newsletter that highlights a soap or ingredient, gives monthly updates about the homestead, and also lists the markets, festivals, and events we’ll be attending that month.