Best Management Practices for Corn Production in South Dakota: Tillage, Crop Rotations, and Cover Crops

Historically, tillage and cultivation were used to manage residue, diseases, insects, weeds, and soil compaction. Tillage equipment that has been used includes molderboard plows, discs, cultivators, rippers, and chisel plows. Conservation practices and innovations in production tools (i.e., planters, herbicides, and genetically modified crops) provide farmers with the opportunity to minimize losses.