he Minnesota River carries a disproportionate load of sediment, phosphorus,
and oxygen demanding substances compared to other river systems in the
state. This is in part due to the type of material that was left behind by
the last glacier. It is also in part due to human activity. Activities
include: discharging of sewage effluents, land development and
construction, and farming activities.
Most of the agricultural contribution is due to soil erosion. By leaving
crop residue on the surface of the soil from the previous crop farmers can
greatly reduce the amount of potential contaminants that are lost due to
erosion. These conservation farming systems sometimes pose a risk of yield
loss and profitability. Their suitability and level of risk depends on the
amount of rainfall, temperatures, soil drainage, and crop sequence.
These publications identify tillage recommendations based on climate, soil
type, and crop sequence. Performance standards and risks of each
conservation system are presented. A large amount of data from Minnesota
Agricultural Experiment Stations and research done on cooperating farmers
fields are presented. This allows the reader to view much of the data used
as a basis for these recommendations.
Research is currently underway to develop recommendations for conservation
farming systems on major agro-eco regions not represented in these
publications. This research is designed to identify the their economic risk
and profitability as well as their potential positive environmental impact.
This set of publications was the result of a joint effort between the
University of Minnesota Extension Service, the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station,
and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. This information was first
presented February of 1995 at the Sediment Control Solutions Conferences in
Mankato and Montevideo, Minnesota.
Copyright ©
2002 Regents of the University of
Minnesota. All rights reserved.
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Minnesota Extension.
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