ISU Extension News

Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915

6/16/03

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Mahdi Al-Kaisi, Agronomy, (515) 294-1923, malkaisi@iastate.edu
Jean McGuire, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515) 294-7033, jmcguire@iastate.edu

Check Field Conditions Before Cultivating

Ames, Iowa -- Crop residue levels are low at this time of year due to tillage, cultivation and natural degradation. The current rainy and relatively cool weather have slowed crop canopy development, leaving the soil at high erosion risk.

However, Mahdi Al-Kaisi, soil management specialist with Iowa State University (ISU) Extension, says farmers who have firm conservation plans in place can still consider cultivation if the need arises. "But the key is to cultivate for the right reasons -- to eliminate serious weed pressure and break up soil crusting. If neither of those problems are serious enough to begin reducing yield, then it's best to leave the cultivator in the shed."

By this time of year, there has been time enough for significant decomposition of residue from the previous year's crop. Some farmers may also have turned under a considerable amount of residue during fall and spring tillage operations.

"Now is the time to go to the field and measure or estimate your crop residue and see if you're hitting the target of 30% residue remaining on the soil's surface," Al-Kaisi advises. "Some farmers could be surprised by how little residue is actually remaining. The combination of seasonal decomposition, crop conditions, and unusual rainy weather has put in place a recipe for severe erosion in some areas."

Al- Kaisi says the best managers are aware of field conditions on a day- to-day basis. "If you've taken some hard rains, set some time aside to 'read' your fields for erosion problems and runoff patterns. Look for washouts, gullies, and other indicators that waterways, contouring, and filter strips are needed to control or eliminate erosion. And make plans to get them in place."

Soil erosion is a serious problem that can lead to impaired water quality, possible crop damage and seriously deteriorate the productivity of a farm field. If soil erosion issues, are not addressed they could contribute to the movement of sediment, nutrients and agricultural chemicals into water bodies.

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Funding support provided by USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service through Cooperative Agreement No. 74-6114-10-03.

ml: isufarm


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