Soil Warming and Drying and the Consquence to Crop Yields among Conservation Tillage Practices in Frigid Corn-Soybean Fields

Abstract

Concerns over delayed soil warming and drying have hindered adoption of conservation tillage practices in frigid environments. Our objectives were to evaluate the effects of chisel plow (CP), vertical tillage (VT), strip tillage with coulters (STC), and strip tillage with shanks (STS) on soil warming and drying and their potential consequences to crop yields. A two-year study was conduct at three full-scale, producer-managed, corn-soybean fields in the Red River Valley of eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota. Tillage treatments were assessed to measure crop residue cover, soil temperatures, soil volumetric water contents, crop yields, and other metrics. Our study indicated significant differences for many soil physical and chemical parameters, but little to none for soil warming and crop yields. Yield differences were attributed to varying fertilizer management practices, timing, and application method. These findings emphasize the importance of field management practices that compliment conservation tillage for obtaining competitive crop yields.