If a plant a field and leave the crop, reincorporating the residue in the following year's crop, do I experience a loss of nutrients? On the surface, it seems I would not, or not much. Does anyone know for sure and if nutrients are lost, why? To the extent matter is consumed by animals or blown away in the wind I could see a loss. Any other ways?

You will lose some to leaching each time there is aprecipitation event. How much/little depends a lot on how much rain you get.

In a mature ecosytem you will lose some minerals to leaching. If your soil is worn down the nutrient levels will increase with the organic matter leveland fixed compounds until a peak level is reached. This level will be found when the natural mineral additions from decay of your soil equal the leaching loses. Nitrogen levels willequalize when the content of the losses from organic matter is equal to additions from lightening and nitrogen fixing bacteria.

Quick answer; you'll have a gain until the soil is close to it's original fertility.

Dan O.

I thought of the leaching factor after my post. I would expect greater amounts of leaching in sandy soils for obvious reasons, and from clay due to surface runoff. I'd guess laomy soils would lose the least. I'm encouraged by your input Dan O suggesting it may actually improve the soil. I'd like to think if I'm planting for wildlife use I might not have to pump a lot of expensive fertilizer into the mix.

If you don't harvest a crop off the land adding fertilizer is like putting money in the bank. It even pays interest in that the fertilizer increases plant growth which accelerates organic matter accumulation and soil improvement.

Dan O.

agreed

- till the mowed product back in if you can. If not mow often and as fine as possible.

Most of the nutrients that come off a plot like this - - go right into body, milk and antler improvements. What's leftover - goes back into the soil.

FH