Cropland Soil and Water Conservation
Cropland Soil Management
Cropland soil management continues to be critical to the long-term sustainability of our agricultural production system. Because soils are the foundation of this system it is important that our management practices maintain or improve their productivity. No-till management systems are useful management options for the improvement of soil quality and productivity. No-till will dramatically reduce soil erosion, it will alleviate subsurface compaction in the form of plow plans, and allow for the accumulation of soil organic carbon. This accumulation (sequestration) of organic carbon in no-till soils provides external value to the no-till system in the form of carbon credits.
Numerous management options to alleviate problems with soil wetness,
compaction and spring soil temperature are available.
Assessment of these options, such as deep tillage for alleviation of
compaction, and strip-tillage and raised beds for soil wetness and soil
temperature problems are currently being assessed. Results of
these assessments will be updated as they become available.
