Eliminating fall tillage is one of the easiest actions a farmer can do to help improve their soil quality according to, Dr. Corey Brubaker, state agronomist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

“Eliminating fall tillage reduces wear on farm machinery, saves fuel, provides better erosion control, improves soil quality, provides wildlife habitat, and enhances water quality,” Brubaker said.

Leaving this year’s crop residue on the soil surface over the winter can help provide erosion protection and capture winter precipitation. The moisture captured by the residue enters the soil rather than losing it to runoff, added Brubaker.

Tillage reduces soil quality by destroying soil structure, which reduces infiltration rates and increases runoff. Tillage speeds up decomposition of crop residues resulting in less organic material being returned to the soil. All of these factors reduce soil quality, according to Brubaker.

Even the application of fertilizer in the fall can have a negative impact on soil quality if it is not timed appropriately. The University of Nebraska Extension guidelines indicate anhydrous ammonia should not be applied until soil temperatures are at a constant low temperature. The mid-day temperatures at a four-inch soil depth should be below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Applying nitrogen to warm soils creates a higher potential for losses to occur making nitrogen unavailable next year for a corn crop. Part of the nitrogen lost can leach into the ground water.

Nitrogen loss is an economic loss to producers and can be detrimental to water quality. Although soil temperatures are probably cool enough for fertilizer application, Brubaker says it would be better to hold off until spring.

“That would greatly reduce the risk of losing nitrogen during the winter months and would leave the soil surface undisturbed until spring. As a rule, the less the soil is disturbed the better,” Brubaker said.

More and more farmers are catching on to this idea. Recent crop planting survey data released by NRCS shows a 12 percent increase in the amount of corn and soybeans being planted using “no-till” between 2004 and 2006. Sorghum and wheat planted using no-till also showed an increase. No-till planting means the soil is left undisturbed from the previous year and the new crop is planted directly through the residue into the soil in the spring.

“Leaving this year’s crop residue on the soil surface is the start of the “no-till” system. Any cultivation from here on destroys some of that residue,” Brubaker said.