60 Ways - 13. Reduce Soil Compaction and Increase Filtration

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60 Ways Farmers Can Protect Surface Water

50 ways

57 ways

60 ways

Managing Surface Cover

1. Distribute residue evenly at harvest
2. Avoid fall tillage
3. Determine how your operations will affect residue cover
4. Estimate residue cover in the field
5. Adjust equipment to preserve residue
6. Plant a cover crop
7. Rotate crops
8. Select vigorous perennial pasture species
9. Protect the soil with special-use annual forage crops
10. Protect the soil with rotational grazing
11. Use no-till when renovating pasture
12. Manage timberland to protect soil

Controlling the Flow of Water

13. Reduce soil compaction and increase infiltration
14. Install grassed waterways
15. Plant vegetative filter strips or make critical area plantings
16. Farm on the contour
17. Use contour stripcropping and contour buffer strips
18. Install terraces
19. Install grade control structures
20. Install water and sediment control basin
21. Use diversions
22. Install a farm pond
23. Maintain your dtrainage system to protect surface water
24. Control streambank erosion with the willow-post method
25. Avoid channelization of streams and creeks

Managing Nutrients Effectively

26. Set realistic yield goals
27. Monitor the level of nutrients
28. Credit other nitrogen sources
29. Select nitrogen fertilizers wisely
30. Apply nitrogen in the spring
31. Apply fertilizer with a global positioning system

Managing Livestock Waste Effectively

32. Keep livestock out of water
33. Divert runoff water
34. Collect and store contaminated runoff
35. Install a vegetative filter - in appropriate
36. Determine accurate manure application equipment
37. Calibrate manure application equipment
38. Apply manure wisely

Reducing Insecticide Use

39. Scout fields for insects
40. Base decisions on the economic thresholds for insects
41. Use insect-resistant crop varieties
42. Use crop rotation and plant diversity to control insects
43. Spot-treat insect infestations when possible
44. Conserve beneficial insects

Reducing Herbicide Use

45. Scout for weeds and know their economic thresholds
46. Fine-tune your weed-control program to cut back on herbicides
47. Manage crops to compete aggressively with weeds
48. Don't assume that no-till requires more herbicide
49. Band herbicides and cultivate
50. Control weeds with cover crops

Selecting Pesticides

51. Select the leat-toxic pesticide
52. Determine your soil's potential for runoff
53. Determine your pesticide's potential for runoff
54. Determine the soil-pesticide interaction rating

Handling Pesticides Safely & Efficiently

55. Calibrate your sprayer
56. Consider direct injection and closed handling systems
57. Observe setback zones
58. Rinse and dispose of chemical containers safely
59. Dispose of excess chemical safely
60. Dispose of other farm waste safely

13. Reduce Soil Compaction and Increase Filtration
	When soil compaction becomes excessive, you end up paying in a number of ways—lower crop yield and a greater potential for soil erosion and water runoff. The surface of a compacted soil is more likely to seal, which means water has a harder time moving down through the soil. Water accumulates on the surface and moves downslope, carrying eroded soil, nutrients, and pesticides.
	To prevent soil compaction, avoid wheel traffic and tillage of wet soils; use wider tires, dual tires, or tracks; minimize tractor weight; maintain the minimum tire inflation pressure needed for an acceptable tire life; avoid using oversized equipment; try to combine field operations to make fewer passes over the field. . .
	. . . keep soil-engaging components of your equipment sharp; add organic matter to the soil; vary the depth of primary tillage from year to year to prevent formation of a "plowpan"; and space the wheels on production and harvesting equipment equally so they follow the same paths. Also, use tractors with four-wheel or mechanical front-wheel drive because the front and rear wheels follow the same path.
	In an excessively compacted field, you can use the subsoiler or paraplow to sufficiently loosen the soil. However, studies have shown that except for possibly improving drainage, it is not necessary to loosen the soil to the depth that some of these implements—especially the subsoiler—are designed to operate.
	Keep in mind that the effect of subsoiling may be temporary. For the first few rainfalls after subsoiling, the infiltration of water into the soil will be high. But eventually the rain will cause the surface to seal, and runoff may be the same as if you hadn't subsoiled. If subsoiling is necessary, do it on the contour and when the soil is dry.
	To measure compaction, a soil cone penetrometer can give a more objective indication than other systems. A cone penetrometer, available for about $150, measures the amount of resistance encountered when probing the soil, but its readings are affected by soil moisture and require careful interpretation. Also, with a penetrometer it is difficult to tell if a dry soil is compacted.