Heavy crop residue, or trash, in combination with excess moisture has implications for direct seeding and conservation farming practices. In certain parts of Alberta, excessive crop residue is a complicating agronomic factor and it has become a topic of discussion among farmers.

General observation suggests more farmers have been using some degree of tillage in recent years. It’s not a landslide movement toward full-tilt conventional tillage, nor the season-long black dirt of summer fallow days, but farmers are looking at various tillage operations to fix certain field problems such as smoothing ruts, managing heavy crop residue, controlling weeds and breaking up compacted soil.