Residue Management: A computer program about conservation tillage decisions

Abstract

A primary goal of conservation tillage is using crop residue to enhance soil and water conservation. Achieving this goal, though, requires numerous decisions involving soil, crop, climate, and machinery considerations. The computer program described here allows the user to rapidly assess and compare numerous options against a goal of soil conservation. This program advances the user through three stages of residue management: determining the initial residue amount in the field, selecting a residue maintenance goal, and calculating the residue remaining after selected tillage operations have been performed. Within each area, users select values from a wide range of options. The final residue level is compared to the maintenance goal. Users may hold one or more parameters constant while changing others to visualize their impact on residue maintenance. All systems selected are compiled into a summary table which can be printed for a permanent record. The program can be run using either English or metric units. Both wind and water erosion hazards are considered. Eighteen tillage treatments are available for selection, as are four crop types, six soil texture groups, and three soil slope categories. Any practical yield level can be used. This program is used in an introductory soils class to supplement discussions on the Universal Soil Loss Equation and the impact of tillage on soil properties.