Rain!!

After almost of a month of no rain we finally got some much needed precipitation here in Lancaster County.  Unfortunately we got 3-4 inches in a span of a few days, which under traditional cropping strategies could have made for a very muddy situation not only on land, but also in the local waterways.  However, because so many farmers have adopted no-till farming practices the fields were able to absorb this water preventing the local streams from becoming that familiar muddy color.  In this area around 50% of land is in no-till production, which is a great tribute to farmer's concern for local water quality.  There are many other states that cannot boast such a high number of no-till acres.  The benefit to no-till is that there is residue from last year's crop still covering the top of the soil.  This residue inhibits the flow of water allowing more it to be absorbed into the soil instead of running off into local streams.  Excessive runoff from a field, which could have easily happened during this rain event, can carry with it nutrients and sediment that will then contaminate local waterways.  Also, because the water had a better opportunity to be absorbed into the soil the plants will benefit from this rain for weeks to come.