Row Cropping Sandy Soils Under Sprinklers Using a Winter Grain Cover to Control Wind Erosion

One of the most effective ways to prevent the wind erosion of sandy soils is to maintain a continuous crop cover. Summer row cropping following a winter grain cover offers several attractive features, although it does present management problems. The grain cover must be established in the fall after harvesting the row crop, and the transition back to a row crop in the spring must be made without leaving the soil surface unprotected from the wind. This report summarizes 4 years of observations and exploratory studies in which a variety of cover-row cropping management systems were tested with emphasis on methods for establishing row crops directly in the winter cover. Pertinent literature and observations of other field trials are also discussed