By Scout Nelson
Topsoil is one of the most valuable resources on a farm. It contains essential nutrients, organic matter, and living organisms that support healthy crop growth. However, strong winter winds can carry away this fertile soil, especially from fields that undergo fall tillage.
Farmers can reduce this loss by avoiding unnecessary tillage after harvest and leaving crop residue on the field. Keeping the soil covered helps protect valuable nutrients, improve soil health, and prepare fields for the next growing season.
Naeem Kalwar, NDSU Extension soil health specialist at the Langdon Research Extension Center, explained that wind erosion is not limited to the spring, summer, or fall. Much of this soil loss occurs during winter because of fall tillage practices. His recommendations encourage farmers to maintain crop residue and reduce unnecessary soil disturbance after harvest.
Why Farmers Should Avoid Fall Tillage
Many farmers believe soil erosion mainly happens during the growing season or after heavy rainfall. However, winter wind can also remove large amounts of fertile topsoil. Fall tillage makes this problem worse because it loosens the soil and removes the natural protection provided by crop roots and volunteer plants.
When soil becomes loose and exposed, strong winds can easily carry away its upper layer. This soil may travel far from the field or collect in nearby roadside ditches and shelterbelts. Farmers can often notice the damage when fields and roadside areas turn black from blowing soil, while fields without fall tillage remain covered with snow.
Topsoil loss also removes valuable nutrients and organic matter. Replacing these lost resources requires additional fertilizer and increases production costs. Therefore, protecting the soil after harvest is important for both farm income and long-term land productivity.
Keep Crop Residue on the Field
Leaving crop residue is one of the simplest ways to reduce winter soil erosion. Crop stubble and leftover plant material help hold the soil in place and reduce the impact of strong winds.
Farmers are encouraged to leave crop stubble as high as possible during harvest. They should also spread crop residue evenly across the field instead of allowing it to collect in certain areas.
“Leaving the crop stubble high will help capture snowfall, reduce or eliminate wind soil erosion, and dry out the soil in the spring,” says Kalwar. “By not conducting fall tillage, crop residue is more likely to stay in the field, allowing residue decomposition and nutrient cycling to stay in the field instead of having the crop residue blowing away.”
Crop residue also supports natural nutrient cycling as plant material breaks down and returns nutrients to the soil. This process adds organic matter and helps maintain soil quality for future crops.
Cover Crops and Volunteer Plants Support Soil Health
Living plants can provide additional protection against winter soil erosion. Cover crops and volunteer crop plants help keep the soil covered and reduce the amount of bare ground exposed to wind.
These plants also take up water from the soil, which can help fields dry out before spring planting. Maintaining plant growth after harvest can therefore support both soil protection and field preparation.
Kalwar recommends avoiding unnecessary fall tillage and allowing volunteer crop plants to grow. This practice helps keep the soil in place, capture more snowfall, and add organic material to the field.
“Crop stubble will hold the topsoil together and capture more snow, improving soil moisture availability for 2027 crops,” says Kalwar. “Volunteer crop growth will add organic material to the soils.”
Understand the Cost of Topsoil Loss
Soil erosion can create major financial losses for farmers. NDSU research conducted in 2025 estimates that topsoil lost during the winter of 2024–2025 results in nutrient replacement costs of $6,682.95 per acre. This estimate covers only five of the 10 nutrients lost and uses 2025 commercial fertilizer prices for a soil sample taken from the top six inches.
The research also estimates that replacing each inch of topsoil costs $1,113.81 per acre. These figures show how expensive winter soil erosion can become for agricultural operations.
Protecting topsoil helps farmers avoid additional fertilizer expenses and maintain the natural resources needed for successful crop production.
Manage Weeds When Skipping Fall Tillage
Although avoiding fall tillage offers several soil health benefits, farmers must also manage weeds. Fields without fall tillage may support winter annual weeds, such as horseweed, also known as marestail, and perennial weeds, including foxtail barley and Canada thistle.
NDSU Extension cropping systems specialist Jeff Stachler recommends using suitable herbicides to control these weeds when farmers leave fields untilled during fall.
Farmers should select appropriate weed control methods and plan applications based on field conditions and product instructions. Spring tillage can also be performed when necessary.
Some Points to Remember
- Avoid unnecessary fall tillage to reduce winter wind erosion.
- Leave crop stubble as high as possible during harvest.
- Spread crop residue evenly across fields.
- Maintain crop cover to protect valuable topsoil and nutrients.
- Use cover crops or volunteer plants to improve soil protection.
- Monitor winter annual and perennial weeds when skipping fall tillage.
- Use suitable weed control methods when needed.
- Protecting topsoil helps reduce fertilizer expenses and support future crop production.
Avoiding fall tillage may not solve every soil health challenge, but it is a useful step toward protecting farmland. By leaving crop residue, maintaining plant cover, and managing weeds, farmers can reduce winter soil erosion, preserve nutrients, and improve soil conditions for future harvests.
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Photo Credit: istock-alenamozhjer
Categories: North Dakota, Crops, Sustainable Agriculture