Even when harvest wraps up and the bins are full, the work isn’t done. The choices you make after harvest can make or break next year’s crop, especially when it comes to soil management.
Well-managed soil supports stronger root systems, better water retention, and improved nutrient availability, all of which contribute to higher yields and long-term productivity and sustainability. Post-harvest management practices are key to preparing your seedbed for next year’s planting.
Let’s look at a few key post-harvest management practices, starting with how you handle tillage.
Post-harvest tillage
Your soil is more than just dirt that holds your plants. It’s an ecosystem full of microbes, fungi, and invertebrates. That’s why it’s worth considering how your post-harvest tillage practices affect both short-term performance and long-term soil conditions.
Reducing tillage helps protect that ecosystem in your fields throughout winter. This ecosystem builds diversity, stability and resiliency for your crops.
Think about your soil conditions, residue levels, crop rotation and the economics of tilling. Reducing or even eliminating tillage may not be suitable for every operation, but it’s worth weighing the benefits. Adopting no-till can help you:
• Cut down on erosion and runoff
• Improve water infiltration and moisture retention
• Preserve organic matter and soil structure
• Reduce fuel and labor costs over time
Research shows no-till and strip-till fields can yield just as competitively as conventionally tilled fields in many systems.1 Highly erodible fields, such as those with steep slopes or coarse-textured soils, often gain the most from reduced tillage. The same is true for fields prone to crusting or with poor aggregate stability. Still, choose what works best for your land and goals.
Post-harvest cover cropping
As soil conservationists like to say, “soil doesn’t like to be naked!” Planting a cover crop like cereal rye or winter wheat after corn or soybeans can help protect your soil during the off-season.
Cover crops reduce erosion, suppress weeds and limit nutrient leaching. They also scavenge leftover nutrients, especially nitrogen, and keep them in the root zone for next year. Whether you terminate the cover crop before planting or seed directly into it, the potential result is improved soil structure and a stronger start for your main crop.
Managing crop residue after harvest
Bare soil is more susceptible to erosion, especially in hilly areas with constant winds. As with cover crops, crop residue can protect the soil from both wind and rain, and help retain soil moisture and return nutrients and organic matter to the soil as residue decomposes.2
That said, leaving residue behind can also create challenges. Crop residue can harbor pests and diseases, and without the right equipment, it can be difficult to plant into. Getting crop residue management right can be tricky, but it’s worth considering, especially in fields at risk for overwinter erosion.
Preventing soil compaction
Soil compaction can dangerously restrict root penetration and water infiltration. By restricting equipment movement to controlled traffic patterns, you can better preserve soil structure and porosity.
Staying off your fields when they are wet, rotating your crops with deep-rooted cover crops and managing your tillage can all contribute to reducing compaction.3
Soil testing and nutrient management post-harvest
It’s hard to know what specific inputs and fertilizers you need to add back to your fields post-harvest if you don’t know what’s going on under the surface of your soil. Post-harvest soil tests can provide valuable insights into the nutrient profile of your soil after your crop has extracted nutrients throughout the season, enabling you to tailor your soil management decisions to your field’s specific requirements. This can help you reduce nutrient loss over the winter and better manage inputs, preventing costly over-application.
Managing drainage and water flow
Heavy rains and snow melts can wreak havoc on your fields if water isn’t managed properly. That’s why it’s important to assess how water flows across your land after harvest.
Maintaining grassed waterways, buffer strips, or drainage ditches can help slow down and redirect surface runoff. These features give that deluge of water a chance to soak in rather than wash your topsoil away. They also help trap damaging pollutants, like sediment and leached nutrients, before they can leave your field and infiltrate surrounding water sources.
Look for signs of erosion or ponding. Repair damaged areas and consider whether new buffers or water channels might help mitigate future risks.
Post-harvest is a prime time to protect the soil that sustains your operation. Whether you’re rethinking tillage, considering adding cover crops, or simply taking the time to run a soil test, every decision you make now sets the stage for next year’s success.
Experts are available to help you make informed decisions about your soil management. Reach out to your seed retailer, a nearby extension office agent, or a seed company professional, like your regional BASF representative.
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Endnotes
- Al-Kaisi, Mahdi. “Let’s Talk No-Till.” Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, 30 Oct. 2018, https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/cropnews/2018/10/lets-talk-no-till.
- University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. “Conservation Tillage.” What is Sustainable Agriculture? UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, https://sarep.ucdavis.edu/sustainable-ag/conservation-tillage.
- Wortmann, Charles S., and Paul J. Jasa. “Management to Minimize and Reduce Soil Compaction.” University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension, Oct. 2009, https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/g896/na/html/view.
