“High Residue Farming” is an umbrella term for cropping systems in which less tillage is used in order to keep crop residue on the surface of a field. Crop residue provides many benefits to the soil and following crops. These systems are competitive with conventional clean-till systems in yield and more importantly, profit. They require management of equipment, rotation, soil fertility, pests, and crop residues. No-till, direct seeding, strip-tillage and conservation tillage can all be high residue farming systems.
Featured Publications
High Residue Farming Under Irrigation: Pest Management Considerations (series 4 of 5)
McGuire, A. This publication is the fourth in a series on high residue farming (HRF), for farmers who are interested in HRF. This publication gives an overview of the effects of adopting HRF on the management of weeds, insects, and diseases. EM074E.
High Residue Farming Under Irrigation: Residue Management through Planting (series 3 of 5)
McGuire, A. This publication is the third in a series on high residue farming (HRF), for farmers who are interested in HRF. It discusses residue management after harvest and explains how to plant crops into high residue conditions with a planter or drill. It also covers modifications for existing equipment such as planters and drills, and soil fertility adjustments that may be necessary. EM073E.
High Residue Farming Under Irrigation: Crop Rotation (series 2 of 5)
McGuire, A. This publication is the second in a series on high residue farming (HRF), for farmers who are interested in HRF. It discusses how to choose a cropping sequence, choosing specific cover crops, and special crop considerations for irrigated cropping systems in the far western United States. It includes a very helpful table of crops that shows the relative difficulty of specific rotations. EM072E.
High Residue Farming Under Irrigation: What and Why (series 1 of 5)
McGuire, A. This publication is the first in a series on high residue farming (HRF), for farmers who are interested in HRF. It provides an overview of HRF, including the benefits and challenges. It also discusses some special considerations for HRF in the irrigated agriculture regions of the far western United States. EM071E.
High Residue Farming under Irrigation: Strip-till
McGuire, A. Extension Bulletin EM036E. Strip-tillage is a low-impact cultivation technique suited to irrigated land with a lot of residue from a previous crop. A strip-till system creates both clean-till and high-residue conditions in the same field, taking advantage of both systems while minimizing drawbacks. This publication discusses the benefits of this system, as well as equipment needed, general management concerns, and how to get started. A budget is also included to help growers determine the relative net cost of implementing this system. Originally published Jan 2011; revised Sept 2014.
Irrigated Ag Information Service
A new WSU Extension website for agricultural industry professionals is designed to provide users with a customizable source of timely information on all aspects of irrigated agriculture. The service is completely free and was developed by a team of WSU Extension irrigation and agronomy experts.
High Residue Farming under Irrigation – Workshops
Digests and agendas from yearly WSU Extension High Residue Farming under Irrigation workshops in Moses Lake, Washington. 2004 to present.
Additional Publications
2006 Strip-till vs. No-till Sweet Corn
On-farm research report.