Conservation Tillage Demonstration Project

The Heron Lake watershed encompasses parts of four counties and impacts a much larger environment by draining directly into the Des Moines River. The Des Moines River flows through an intense agricultural environment and is included on the EPA 303(d) Impaired Waters List. Preliminary results of an intensive diagnostic study reveal that the equivalent of 2,775 truckloads of sediment (58,000 tons) pass through Jackson, Minnesota each year - the southernmost site of the study. Soil erosion from cropped agricultural land continues to be a significant source of sediment in surface waters, and also results in an irreversible loss in soil productivity. Soil detachment and transport can be effectively reduced in row-crops by maintaining plant residue of the previous crop until the new crop canopy closes. Residue is maintained by minimizing or localizing the aggressiveness and number of tillage operations. Data shows that in 2004 only 45.8% of the producers in Jackson County, and 44.4% of the producers in Nobles County, used conservation tillage methods. One new method of tillage, strip tillage, is a promising new technology that removes residue in the fall only from a narrow strip where the row will be planted in the spring. This project will provide testing and evaluation of conservation tillage techniques in order to help persuade farmers that strip tillage will benefit their operations both economically and environmentally.