| Soil Management in a Wet Fall |
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| Written by Administrator | |
| Tuesday, 03 November 2009 | |
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By Joshua Sieren, NRCS Soil Conservationist Mount Pleasant Field Office
penetrate leaving a shallow root zone. Deep ruts left untreated make it difficult in maintaining a consistent planting depth producing an uneven stand. Farmers use mulch-till tillage systems to break up compacted zones to create an optimal seedbed. No-till systems rely on natural freeze-thaw heaving of soil over winter to break up soil compaction. Ruts can still be spot tilled to level soil for planting operations.
A wet soil profile limits the effectiveness of using tillage to break up compaction zones. Soil needs to be dry enough for the shanks on deep tillage equipment to lift and shatter the compacted area. When tilling in a wet soil profile deep tillage shanks have to lift and shatter a much heavier soil profile due to the extra weight of the water present in the profile. The shanks are not able to provide enough lift and typically smear through the soil profile, decreasing the effectiveness of breaking up compaction and moving compaction zones deeper in the profile.
Tillage equipment also pulls hard through a wet soil profile and increases fuel use of the tillage operation. Increased fuel use coupled with decreased effectiveness of the tillage equipment makes tilling in wet soils a very costly operation. A strategy must be implemented to deal with wet soils and minimize compaction.
Today’s combines, with grain tank extensions and when fully loaded the front axle load can be 18 to 20 tons according to ISU Extension publications. A tractor with a fully loaded grain cart on a single axle can weigh even more. Compacted soil beneath visible ruts and not-so-visible tire tracks across a field affects crop rooting and development creating compaction areas roots cannot One strategy for minimum till or mulch tillers is to wait until spring for the soil profile to dry out and like no-tillers rely on freeze-thaw heaving to break up compaction areas. Soil moisture levels are full or near full and will help maximize the freeze-thaw action in the soil profile. Use a soil finisher in the spring when soil moisture conditions are optimal to level ruts and improve the seedbed for planting operations.
In
Questions regarding management decisions in wet soils can be directed to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) or Iowa State Extension. Questions regarding conservation compliance and tillage requirements can be directed to NRCS. Remember to check your conservation plan before performing tillage operations. In most cases spot tillage of ruts is allowable as long as it is less than 50% of the field is tilled. If in doubt contact your local NRCS office.
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