One of my less desirable characteristics is a tendency to be judgmental. Uffda, sorry but it's true. There is a circumstance in which I give free rein to judging. It happens as I make the drive from The Little House to the OFH. This time of year, post harvest, farmers are busy with fall tillage.
There are a couple of reasons for tilling fields in the fall. Tillage blackens the field as crop residue is turned under the soil. Black fields warm more quickly in the spring. This allows earlier planting which is an advantage. The fall tillage also reduces the need for work in the spring.
A possible problem with fall tillage is it can lead to erosion by water and wind. Soil conservationists measure the weight of crop residue needed for avoiding erosion. This is where my judgmental side kicks in. As I pass fields that have been tilled I judge the results from a conservation perspective.
This effort began with the simple categories of 'good', 'mediocre' and 'poor'. Then I passed a field that was 'excellent' and soon one that was 'fairly good' and another that was 'bad'. My standard was that a good field would be half crop residue and half black soil. Worst are the sugar been fields which have zero residue. Beet harvest is so late that nothing will germinate and beet tops simply disintegrate. Could beet farmers plant strips of other vegetation that could be left at harvest?
It would be interesting to be accompanied by a soil conservationist to evaluate my evaluations. Toady I observed a farmer tilling a field for the second time. The first tillage I judged 'good'. The second tillage seemed to me to leave the field in poor shape for the winter.
At least it provides diversion for me as I motor across the state.
Takk for alt,
Al
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