Actually, 2 questions...

If you have a picked soybean field, would it hold more moisture in the spring if you chisle plowed it in the fall or left it smooth and flat after harvest?

Why would you plow a bean field if it was going to corn the next season?

Hi Greg

Depends on the snow/rain over the winter for your area. In my area - Yes
it will get covered with 10-12 ft of snow over the next 3 months. Even in areas with less moisture - its my area - its common to prepare the field the Fall before a spring planting - Especially if the field tends to be wet in the spring at normal plowing time. This practice can save a few crucial weeks in the spring.

I'd suspect that they plowed it in now - because they could.

As one interested in providing winter food plots for our herd - I would not suggest this practice unless you have many acres to spare - and plenty of winter feed available on other fields.


FH

You need to plow to hold more mositure, It will collect and hold the moisture... You plow a bean feed to plant corn so that you that the plant roots system can get as much nutrition as possilble, Also allowing max root growth....
Tim

When you break up the ground, it allows it to take in the moisture better and at the same time aeriates it. This from a farmers perspective.

The common misconception about plowing or tilling is that it helps hold moisture and organic material, when the fact is that it does the opposite in most cases. When you break the soil or disrupt the natural organic layer on the top of the soil you allow water to do lots of damage. It compacts the soil badly causing major run off, it literaly seals the soil. This is also why you see crack forming in soil. By not disrupting the organic layer of the soil profile you provide cusioning for when water hit....the dried soybeans, grass, whatever act like a wick for the water when it rains. The organic material also provides a protective layer for microbes and fungi to flourish(which are crucial in plant gowth and organic material break down). Leaving the organic layer undisturbed will save you money on fertilizer, as well. Since the rain or irrigation can't compact the soil it allows for more breakdown of organic material making more Natural or Oraganic fertilizer. The roots will also have more room to grow with less compacted soil. I could spend a little more time on details but then you be reading forever. If you have any questions PM me and I'll try to help ya out. also I'm not saying there is never a time to till the soil, because sometimes you need to break the ground initially to get started. No till is the way to go from a conservationists prospective, and why not there are to many benefits to list.

Anywhere I can find, the no-till fields have better water retention.

http://southwestfarmpress.com/mag/farming_moisture_retention_advantage/

http://www.sunflowernsa.com/magazine/details.asp?ID=212&Cat=2

I guess that a good example would be water runoff in rivers near uncultivated and cultivated areas. Near farm fields the water is coloured from soil and overflows river banks. Near an uncultivated area the runoff is less (but runs for a longer period) and the water is clear.

Dan O.

Yes I also agree - plowing in the fall definitely allows more moisture to "escape" before planitng in the Spring. But if the plot area is normally wet in the spring anyhow and/or if you normally get gratuitous amounts of snow - then fall plowing can be a good farming practice.

Otherwise - its not a great deal -

Sure doesn't help you hunting in the fall.

FH

On the place I hunt, it is so sandy there is no problem with run off, but the farm where I live is different soil and the rain here tends to come hard and infrequently, so if the soil gets compacted from grazing the rain all runs to the low places. If you have ground with no crop on it it's best to rough it up or you will end up with dry dirt on the high places and mud in the bottoms or water standing.

I can try to find some info on no till but I am 100% positive what i said is true.... I will have a degree as a wildlife biologist this coming spring, meaning I have learned a lot about this. Like I said the common misconception is that tilling is a must and it is good, I figured most people wouldnt go for it simply because they have been lead to believe otherwise. I have had several classes in land management practices if it makes anyone feel better.