No till notes: 'Improving our productivity, part 2'

Last week I talked about the loss of soil health in our traditional winter wheat/summer fallow cropping system that has been the predominant system used by producers over the past several decades. In terms of soil health this is probably the most detrimental crop production system.

When I have listened to experts in the field of soil health talk at conferences over the past several years there are a few key components to restoring soil health. The soil needs residues on the soil surface to protect the soil from wind and water erosion. These residues also feed the soil microorganisms. Tillage s...