What field preparation practices could be adopted to reduce overwinter soil degradation by wind erosion?
Producers who rely on soil clods for wind erosion protection must realize that the overwinter soil erodible fraction and surface roughness are dynamic soil characteristics. Under certain soil moisture and climatic conditions the protection from soil clods may dissipate rapidly. All of these study sites had increases in the erodible fraction and an accompanying decrease in surface roughness over the study period. This is one reason why adoption of zero tillage fallow or continuous cropping systems is attractive to producers with fields prone to wind erosion. Standing grain stubble is a definite deterrent to erosion and is not as susceptible to change due to climatic conditions. However, in drought years where crop residue is scant or if residue is lost due to fire, investigators8,9 have found that the erodible fraction on a zero tillage field may be greater than on a conventionally fallowed field. Other alternatives may be to fallow with wide blade cultivators, plant field shelterbelts,
