Expiring contracts on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land offer no-tillers an opportunity to get a jump on the benefits of long-term no-till. 

Speaking at the recent No-till on the Plains Winter Conference in Salina, Kan., Alan Schlegel says no-tilling crops directly into CRP land can be effective while delivering a golden opportunity.

“It really gives you the chance to be in long-term no-till immediately,” the Kansas State University agronomist says. “You get the advantage of maintaining the soil structure that’s been built up in CRP.

“You can’t expect a huge change in soil organic matter from the 10 years or so the ground has been in CRP, but you have a big jump on long-term no-till — and the real benefits we see from no-till are in the long term.”

Weed Challenges

Controlling existing vegetation is the 800-pound gorilla in the room for transitioning CRP acres to crops, Schlegel says. Established perennial grasses and fodder in CRP are formidable foes, and Schlegel cautions that no-tillers should be prepared to make multiple herbicide applications.

The agronomist says he looked at first burning CRP residue to see if it provided a benefit as the first step in the transition to no-tilling crops.

“We found no benefit to burning,” he says. “You have to remember that the High Plains, for example, is short grass country, so the amount of residue is less than it would be in a higher rainfall area where taller grass could inhibit herbicide coverage.

“Here, though, burning was probably…