High water loss during land preparation of soils for rice (Oryza sativa L.) production results from bypass ̄ow through cracks. It was hypothesized that the losses can be reduced by measures that minimize crack development during the soil drying period or impede the ̄ow of water through these cracks. The effect of straw mulching and shallow surface tillage on crack formation during the fallow pe...

Recently tillage manufacturers have been promoting vertical tillage systems claiming that their use can overcome production limitations associated with no-till while maintaining sufficient residue cover to provide erosion protection. Vertical tillage refers to systems where soil disturbance is confined to soil movement mostly in the upward direction and/or confined to a slot or strip where the ...

Tillage practices and weather affect the release of greenhouse gases but there have been few integrated studies of the quantities released or the mechanisms involved. No-tillage may increase emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and the ®xation of carbon by decreasing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Tillage may also decrease the oxidation rate of atmospheric methane (CH4) in aerobic soil. These effe...

Conservation tillage systems that reduce soil erosion and maintain or increase soil carbon offer long-term benefits for producers in the inland Pacific Northwestern United States but could result in reduced grain yields due to increased pressure from weeds, disease, and insect pests. Our objective was to compare runoff, soil erosion, and crop yields from a conventional tillage, wheat-fallow two...

C rop and fertilizer management practices can increase wheat grain protein without sacrificing yield. Growing wheat with high grain protein begins with selecting the appropriate variety and providing enough fertilizer to meet the wheat’s requirements for growth and grain yield. If nutrient levels are sufficient to meet yield goals, then providing adequate available nitrogen (N) may be the most ...

Tillage has been and will always be integral to crop production. Tillage can result in the degradation of soil, water, and air quality. Of all farm management practices, tillage may have the greatest impact on the environment. A wide variety of tillage equipment, practices and systems are available to farmers, providing opportunities to enhance environmental performance. These opportunities hav...

Literature reporting the development of conservation tillage and the research that has been conducted on nematode control in crops grown in conservation tillage systems is reviewed. Effects of different types of conservation tillage on population densities of various nematode species in monocropping and multicropping systems, effects of tillage on nematode distribution in the soil profile, effe...

The no-tillage system is perceived as having lower soil temperatures, wetter soil conditions, and greater surface penetration resistance compared with conventional and other conservation tillage systems. Concerns associated with the effect of the no-tillage system on certain soil physical properties (i.e. soil temperature, moisture, and compaction) prompted this study to evaluate the effect of ...

In 1987, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-ARS) National Sedimentation Laboratory, in cooper­ ation with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experi­ ment Station (MAFES) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), initiated an interdisciplinary research project to develop profitable and environmentally sustainable conservation production systems for silty upland...

A recently completed (Nov. 2009), Cornell University project that focused on controlling weeds in strawberries during the establishment year by transplanting dormant berry plants into a killed cover crop showed great promise, but revealed a barrier. Most growers had difficulty planting through the cover crop. This resulted in slower establishment during the first month and possibly caused skips...