WAYNE – A special month-long long campaign will continue throughout November for Nebraska farmers to “keep the stubble” on their harvested crop fields and improve soil health.
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRSC) is calling the month, “No Till November”.
According to a release from the NRCS, the project is mirrored after the national cancer awareness “No Shave November” campaign. The “No Till November” campaign encourages farmers to keep a different kind of stubble by parking tillage equipment in their machine sheds this fall and keep crop stubble on their fields.
Improving soil health increases soil biological activity, which provides erosion control, nutrient benefits and can simulate tillage.
Fall tillage disturbs soil and removes valuable cover that can leave soil exposed and unprotected during harsh winter months. Other field-disturbing practices like baling corn stalks also removes valuable cover and nutrients from the field.
Conservationists at the Natural Resources Conservation Service say the best thing producers can do for their cropland is to leave it undisturbed as much as possible.
For more information on how to protect and improve soil quality, contact your local NRCS office or www.ne.nrcs.usda.gov.
