In the dryland Pacific Northwest wheat cropping systems, no-till is becoming more prevalent as a way to reduce soil erosion and fuel inputs. Tillage can have a profound effect on microbial communities and soilborne fungal pathogens, such as Rhizoctonia. We compared the fungal communities in long-term no-till (NT) plots adjacent to conventionally tilled (CT) plots, over three years at two locati...

Only 34% of all German farms apply reduced tillage (RT), while approximately 1% of the arable land is under no-tillage (NT). Statistics for organic farming are not available, but the percentages are probably even lower. The development of German organic RT and NT has been strongly driven by pioneer farmers for 40 years, and supported by field trials since the 1990s. The main motive for conversi...

Improved cropping systems are needed to reduce production inputs, increase production efficiency, protect water quality, and reduce soil erosion on furrow-irrigated land. Five field studies were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of producing cereal or corn (Zea Mays L.) without tillage following alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) on furrow-irrigated land. The primary purposes of these studies wer...

In previous research, use of PRE soil residual herbicides was reduced 50% in no-till corn and soybean by banding herbicides over crop rows followed by mowing weeds growing between rows two times. The research goals were (1) to determine whether such between-row mowing systems adequately controlled weeds and prevented grain yield loss in other competitive field crops, such as no-till grain sorgh...

Most waterborne outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis have been attributed to agricultural sources due to the high prevalence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in animal wastes and manure spreading on farmlands. No-till, an effective conservation practice, often results in soil having higher water infiltration and percolation rates than conventional tillage. We treated six undisturbed no-till and six tilled ...

Sustainable soil and crop management practices that reduce soil erosion and nitrogen (N) leaching, conserve soil organic matter, and optimize otton and sorghum yields still remain a challenge. We examined the influence of three tillage practices (no-till, strip till and chisel till), four cover rops {legume [hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth)], nonlegume [rye (Secaele cereale L.)], vetch/rye bicu...

The information presented is part of ongoing research to identify effective conservation tillage systems and phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizer placements for corn and soybeans. The rate of adoption of the no-till system by Iowa producers has decreased after a marked increase during the late 80s and early 90s. Actually, the area of no-till corn has decreased slightly since 1994. Severa...

Methods In 2013, ISU FARM conducted two trials in Pottawattamie County that investigated the effect of various tillage systems on soybean grain yield. In Trial 1, a fall vertical tillage system and a fall disking were compared with a no-till system. In Trial 2, a fall vertical tillage system was compared with no-till. Vertical tillage systems are marketed as systems that lightly till the soil w...

A methodology was developed to estimate quantities of crop residues that can be removed while maintaining rain or wind erosion at less than or equal to the tolerable soil-loss level. Six corn and wheat rotations in the 10 largest corn-producing states were analyzed. Residue removal rates for each rotation were evaluated for conventional, mulch/reduced, and no-till field operations. The analyses...