ABSTRACT
In 1981, conservation tillage was used on one-third of the harvested cropland in the Corn Belt. One problem with straight-row farming is the up-and-down-hill tillage marks, especially from chisels or ammonia applicator knives. Much chisel plowing in the Corn Belt has little effect on reducing soil erosion because of the small amount of residue left after planting and the up-and-down-hill chisel marks. Soybeans in a corn-soybean rotation greatly reduce the effectiveness of no-till in controlling erosion. Residue remaining after soybeans is much less than after corn or small grain, and soybean residue breaks down more rapidly in comparison with corn or wheat residue. In some soils, a combination of surface residue and high porosity is required for most effective erosion reduction. Most effective in this situation would be sweeps, a deep subsoiler or a Paraplow–some implement that would leave most of the residue on the surface.
