Resource Conservation Practices: Tillage Management and Soil Organic Matter

Tillage systems play a significant role in agricultural production throughout Iowa and the Midwest. It has been well documented that increased tillage intensities can reduce soil organic matter in the topsoil due to increased microbial activity and carbon (C) oxidation. The poten-tial loss of soil organic matter due to tillage operations is much higher for high organic matter soils than low organic matter soils. Tillage effects on soil organic matter can be magnified through soil erosion and loss of soil productiv-ity. Soil organic matter is a natural reservoir for nutrients, buffers against soil erosion, and improves the soil environ-ment to sustain soil productivity. Maintaining soil pro-ductivity requires an agriculture management system that maintains or improves soil organic matter content. Com-bining cropping systems and conservation tillage practices, such as no-tillage, strip-tillage, or ridge-tillage, are proven to be very effective in improving soil organic matter and soil quality