Soil erosion is sometimes difficult to see. Soil erosion occurs when water or wind moves across your fields, picking up soil particles and carrying them away. If you can see differences in soil colors on your fields or if there is evidence of rills or gullies where water has run across your fields, you probably have excess erosion occurring on your fields. If you are unsure of what your erosion rates are on your fields, contact your local NRCS or Conservation District Office to assist you in measuring erosion rates. Back To Top 2.
Different soils have different colors.
Generally, the darker the soil, the more organic matter it has. Organic matter serves to reduce erosion, build soil fertility, improves soil structure, and serves as a buffer for pesticides. Although organic matter takes times to build up in your soil, you can increase organic matter through application of animal manure, cover crops, crop rotations, or incorporating crop residue into the soil. A soil test will show what levels of organic matter are present in your fields. Back To Top 3.