By Scout Nelson
Long periods of high winds and dry conditions have increased wind erosion across Nebraska. These events have damaged wheat fields and cause serious topsoil loss. To reduce further damage, emergency tillage and other control methods are being used.
“The purpose of emergency tillage is to provide a rough, ridged, cloddy surface more resistant to wind erosion.”
While long-term prevention like planting cover crops and windbreaks is ideal, emergency strategies are essential when erosion begins. Options include creating soil ridges, adding crop residue or manure, irrigating to increase soil moisture, and setting up temporary barriers.
Tillage is a common emergency method. It should be used before winds reach critical speed, especially in vulnerable field areas. The goal is to lift the soil and form large clods and ridges that slow wind at the surface and trap moving particles.
For best results:
- Use narrow chisel points spaced four to six feet apart.
- Operate perpendicular to wind direction or wheat rows.
- Adjust depth and spacing based on soil type.
- Perform tillage slowly for larger colds.
Sandy soils need deeper tillage and may benefit from manure spreading to improve surface roughness. Moist, lightly compacted soil forms better colds.
In crops like winter wheat, early tillage is less damaging than losing an entire field. Crop insurance agents should be consulted before tillage begins. Other crops like corn, sugarbeets, and beans may also require similar action.
Data from Kansas shows minimal yield loss when emergency tillage is done correctly. The practice is most effective once wheat has tillered and when colds can form at the surface.
Photo Credit:gettyimages-dmytro-diedov
Categories: Nebraska, Crops, Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, Sugar Beets, Weather