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Monitor API

Remote Sensing Technology

Tillage definitions explained

Learn how Monitor tillage practice definitions relate to on-field management practices

Tillage practice	Definition	Management activity examples	Soil disturbance depth	Residue range
Conventional till	Deep tillage, any soil inversion	Plow Deeper disking, subsoiling, or cultivation	10-30cm	Fragile crops: 0-15% Non-fragile: 0-30% Residue incorporated into soil
Reduced till	Shallow tillage, no more than 3 tillage events or passes	Harrow Subsoiling Strip tillage Shallow disking or cultivation	1-10cm	Fragile crops:15-30% Non-fragile: 30-60% Surface residue is detectable
No till	Direct seeding systems, minimal additional field work	Direct seeding Edge of field work	>2 cm	Fragile crops:+30% Non-fragile: +60% Surface residue is detectable

Impact of field work on Monitor tillage practice detection

Any field work that disturbs the soil may impact surface residue, and therefore how Monitor detects and reports tillage practices. The table below contains common field work examples that may look like tillage activity via remote sensing.

Activity	Description	Tillage Intensity (detected by Monitor)	Soil Impact
Field Repair and Improvement
Post-flood repair	Soil drying and drainage Sand incorporation Gully repair	Conventional tillage for the following crop	Deep tillage is generally employed for post flood repair Action on part of the field will impact the full field tillage intensity
Hardpan breakup	Use of subsoiler or deep tillage to break up hardpan Often limited to part of a field	Reduced or Conventional tillage for the following crop	Intended to treat a drainage issue rather than prepare seedbed Will mix residue into the soil, increasing tillage intensity
Nutrient Applications
Anhydrous Ammonia Application	Injection of anhydrous ammonia using “knives” to cut into the soil Can take place in fall or spring at variable depths	No-Till or Reduced tillage for the following crop	Anhydrous knives disturb the soil and can mix or move residue Depending on the application method, can reduce residue cover by 15% - 30%.
Manure Application and Incorporation	Application or injection of animal manures onto a field Incorporation of manure into the soil using soil mixing or covering	Reduced or Conventional tillage for the following crop	Use of injection and application methods that disturb the soil will mix residue into the soil, increasing tillage intensity Chisel and disk applicators can remove 30% - 50% of crop residues
Root Vegetables
Root Vegetable Harvest	Digging to harvest tubers / beets Removal of soil during harvest	Reduced or Conventional tillage for the following crop	Equivalent to full width tillage Soil disturbance Beets: 10 cm Potatoes: 25 cm
Potato Planting	Creation of ridges to bury seed potatoes	Reduced or Conventional tillage for the current crop	Planted at 5-10 cm Ridging disturbs soil >10 cm, full width
Residue Removal
Residue Harvest	Removal of residue for straw or animal feed More common with small grains or corn	Reduction of residue causes appearance of increased tillage intensity for the following crop	Monitor tillage determination is based on residue cover Any removal or residue is attributed to tillage activity
Harvest for Silage	Harvest of corn or other crop biomass for animal feed	Reduction of residue causes appearance of increased tillage intensity for the following crop	Monitor tillage determination is based on residue cover Any removal or residue is attributed to tillage activity