Some Effects of Shifting to Conservation Tillage Systems for Intensive Production of Corn and Soybean

About three-fourths of Kentucky\u27s cropland base occurs on sloping land with some degree of erosion hazard. During the past decade, production of soybeans and corn increased rapidly in Kentucky, particularly on sloping land. This resulted in severe erosion on many farms, particularly in the intensive grain producing counties. Much of this field erosion could be greatly reduced by developing a system for each field that would incorporate use of such agronomic practices as sod waterways, no-till planting, contour plowing, minimum tillage, strip cropping, double-cropping, winter cover crops, crop residue management and rotations. It is believed that the current acreage of corn and soybean can be maintained and even expanded in some areas if such production-oriented erosion control practices were widely used