Rough soil surfaces can retain a considerable amount of water. Soil surface storage can be increased by creating small basins or reservoirs at the soil surface. This is done by mounding loose soil on the surface to create small dams between the rows, or by creating small depressions below the soil surface. Three specialized tillage practices have been evaluated at three Nebraska locations under three field slope conditions. The tillage could be conducted early in the season or as a last pass prior to harvest.
Success often depends on soil moisture content at the time the tillage is performed.
The shank is positioned midway between the crop rows to uplift and partially shatter the soil profile, increasing the infiltration rate and creating a rough soil surface. This practice is most effective when the soil is relatively dry. If the tillage is done on wet soil, much less soil shattering occurs. Subsoil tillage implement and soil surface conditions. Research in other states indicates runoff can be reduced and, in some cases, a yield increase can result when subsoiling is used on fields with slopes less than 5 percent.