KindHarvest summary: No-till and cover crops improve infiltration, but they cannot always control water concentrated into the same drainage path. Persistent gully erosion may need a grassed waterway designed to carry runoff without moving soil into a creek or river.
Try targeted cover first
For a gully that develops after harvest, the article recommends first testing wheat or cereal rye over the flow area. Temporary winter cover can slow water and protect soil, particularly following soybeans. If that does not stop the damage, a permanent practice may be needed.
Design waterways for water and machinery
A grassed waterway spreads and slows concentrated flow. Shallow, wide channels with flatter side slopes are easier for large machinery to cross, although they occupy more land. In wetter situations, drainage tile along the sides may help keep the waterway trafficable.
Maintenance keeps the system working
End rows can redirect water along the outside of a waterway and create new gullies. Herbicide damage can thin the grass, while deposited sediment gradually reduces capacity. Planting controls, careful spraying, reseeding and sediment removal all form part of the practice.
Use local design support
Drainage area, slope and expected runoff determine waterway dimensions. Technical design advice is preferable to guessing, particularly where failure could move sediment and nutrients off site. Related reading: KindHarvest’s report on measuring soil-erosion risk.
Source and credit
This KindHarvest Team conservation brief is based on an article by Don Donovan for Farm Progress, published 5 May 2022. The publisher has moved the article. Read the full Farm Progress article.