Avoid Spring Soil Compaction Avoid working soil wet and extra secondary tillage trips. Controlled traffic pattern systems are helpful. Cultivate to Create Loose Soil Mulch Evaporation of soil moisture from soil surface is minimized by creating a loose soil mulch to break capillary action. Much less soil cracking is observed where soil mulch is present. Foliar Feed Amine Nitrogen Deep feeding roots pick up nitrogen in the nitrate form.
Plants require some nitrogen in the amine form.
The conversion of nitrate nitrogen to amine nitrogen requires energy that may not be available in a drought stressed plant. Destroy Cover Crops Early Destroy cover crops early to avoid competition for soil moisture. Consider an annual such as oats in a dry year. It will automatically winter kill.