Alternate Till: tilling alternate rows for weed management
allows for approximately a 50% reduction in field activity.
|
Top |
Bed/Row Size or Spacing: spacing adjustments reduce the
number of passes and soil disturbances by increasing plant density/canopy
through reduction of row width.
|
|
Cessation of Activities: under very windy conditions, cease
all soil disturbing activities to limit the amount of wind-entrained dust.
|
|
Combined Operations: combine equipment to perform several
operations during one pass, thereby reducing the number of passes necessary
to cultivate the land.
|
|
Conservation Irrigation: conserving water through drip,
sprinkler, underground lines, conserves water and reduces weed population
and need for tillage.
|
|
Conservation Tillage (no tillage or minimum tillage):
reduces the number of passes and the amount of soil disturbance. Improves
soil because it retains plant residue and increases organic matter.
|
Top |
Cover Crops: use seeding or natural vegetation/regrowth of
plants to cover soil surface and reduce wind erosion of soil.
|
|
Cross Wind Stripcropping: establish crops in strips across
the prevailing wind direction and arranged so that strips susceptible to
wind erosion are alternated with strips resistant to wind erosion.
|
|
Equipment Changes/Technological Improvements: use larger
equipment, modify land planing and land leveling, matching the equipment to
row spacing to reduce the number of passes.
|
|
Fallowing Land: temporary or permanent removal from
production eliminates entire operation/passes or reduces soil disturbing
activities.
|
|
Mulching/Crop Residue Management: applying or leaving plant
residue or other material on the soil surface. Reduces wind entrainment of
dust, and reduces weed competition.
|
Top |
Night Farming: operate at night when moisture levels are
higher and winds tend to be lighter, thereby reducing dust emissions.
|
|
Non-tillage/Chemical Tillage: use flail mower, low volume
sprayers, or heat delivery systems (as harvest pre-conditioner). Reduces or
eliminates number of soil tillage passes.
|
|
Organic Practices: use biological control methods or
non-chemical control methods. Reduces chemical use and number of application
passes.
|
|
Precision Farming (GPS): use satellite navigation to
calculate position in the field and therefore manage/treat selective areas.
Reduces overlap.
|
|
Ridge Roughness: establish ridges by normal tillage and
planting equipment as close as perpendicular as possible to the direction of
erosive winds.
|
|
Soil Amendments: apply organic or chemical materials to soil
(e.g., gypsum, lime, polyacrylamide) to improve soil, increase moisture
retention.
|
Top |
Soil Moisture Monitoring: ensure adequate soil moisture
levels at the time of tillage or soil maintenance to reduce dust emissions.
|
|
Sulfur: Reduction or Elimination of Dusting: use biological
or organic control methods to reduce dry particulate applications and
chemical use.
|
|
Surface Roughening: in wind-prone areas, conduct surface
roughening by bedding, rough disking, or tillage that leaves the surface
covered with stable clods.
|
|
Time of Planting: time planting to coincide with the time of
year when PM concentrations are less.
|
|
Transgenic Crops: use of “herbicide-ready” crops reduces
need for tillage or cultivation operations.
|
|
Transplanting: planting plants already in the growth state
reduces number of passes and soil disturbances compared to seeding
operations.
|
|
| Wind Barriers: plant or maintain perennial or annual plants
interspersed throughout a crop field as close to perpendicular as practical
to the direction of prevailing winds. |
Top |
