Samuel D. Evans West Central Experiment Station University of
Minnesota now Emeritus Professor at Morris, Minnesota John F.
Moncrief Department of Soil, Water, and Climate University of
Minnesota Gyles W. Randall Southern Experiment Station
University of Minnesota William E. Lueschen Department of
Agronomy and Plant Genetics University of Minnesota formerly
Head of the Southwest Experiment Station at Lamberton Copyright
© 2002 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights
reserved. Management of crop residues with reduced tillage is
the most cost-effective method of controlling sediment losses
and reducing farming impacts on water quality. Crop residues can
also help reduce wind erosion and can enhance snow entrapment.
One of the primary water quality concerns for the Minnesota
River and its tributaries is sediment, which contributes
increased phosphorus (P) to the system. This increased P
stimulates algae growth, which is followed by an increased
biological oxygen demand when the algae die and decompose