By: Mahdi Al-Kaisi
The current harvest season has provided excellent soil moisture conditions for harvesting with minimum impact on soil compaction if traffic control is practiced during harvest. Also, the dry soil condition offers good condition for applying anhydrous (if the soil temperature is right below 50oF), where soil closing after injecting the fertilizer is much more efficient to reduce ammonia losses and a good soil condition for storing water from precipitation.
However, these benefits can be reduced if fields are tilled. Soil tillage increases the potential for soil erosion and reduces water infiltration and 
subsoil recharge. Keeping crop residue on the soil surface this fall along with cover crops can increase water infiltration, reduce soil erosion, sediment and nutrient loss, contribute to soil organic matter, and improve soil quality. The uncertainty of weather conditions and the need for next season moisture requirements should be kept in mind when planning for the choice of tillage practice this fall.
Protect your soil, protect your investment. These topics will be addressed at the Upcoming Soil Health Conference on February 2-3, 2016: https://register.extension.iastate.edu/soilhealth.
Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Integrated Crop Management News, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If this article is to be used in any other manner, permission from the author is required. This article was originally published on November 9, 2015. The information contained within may not be the most current and accurate depending on when it is accessed.
- Retired Professor of Soil Management/ Environment and Extension Soil and Water Specialist