High amounts of residue are not needed and can make tillage operations and seeding difficult. Excess residue may also interfere with herbicide efficiency in weed control and increase the potential damage from other crop pests. Experimental plots at the Field Station are 76 feet long on a southeast aspect and have a 20 to 25 percent slope. The potential for soil water storage overwinter may increase with increasing surface residues, however. McCool points out that the minimum amount of residue needed to effectively control erosion depends on slope length, slope steepness, soil texture, surface roughness, weather condition and other factors.
Surface roughness can substitute for a portion of the surface residue.
The local Conservation District can assist producers in determining the amount of surface residue needed under their farming conditions. High surface residue levels can create production problems for the following crop. On the other hand, burying all the residue leaves the soil vulnerable to severe topsoil loss by erosion.