Relevant reading: http://www.notill.org/LE_Articles/V8N2A2_hagny.pdf http://www.notill.org/LE_Articles/V7N3A4_control_erosion.pdf http://www.notill.org/LE_Articles/V7N3A3_runoff.pdf All of us can do more to preserve stalks if we need to. And most anyone who can grow soybeans can grow a cover crop of cereal rye (or other winter grass) ahead of the beans without risking yield loss in the beans -- given a modicum of attention to detail. There are always improvements to be made. Ultimately, areas that are highly susceptible to erosion probably need to be in perennial species -- alfalfa, grass, orchards, etc. A really radical idea is growing grain crops amidst a perennial species -- corn into bluegrass sod (google it), or winter cereals grown atop summer perennials -- wheat growing on bermudgrass, or wheat growing on alfalfa. We tried seeding some nightcrawlers this year, but it was such a horribly hot/dry spring that we barely got stands of soybeans, so the project failed as far as I can discern. Once established, the nightcrawlers will endure our droughts. |