Rick Cruse, director of the Iowa Water Center at Iowa State University, told an audience of 40 producers that they need to thoroughly understand what they do on the surface, affects the enviroinment of soil underground.

As a result, he said, their land management actions, or lack of them, dictate where roots will grow, which can make the difference of reaching maximum yields.

He said the combination of the right amounts of water, aeration of the soil, where nutrients are available, soil temperatures and soil structure all affect root development.

Although he did not denigrate producers who use some sort of tillage, he did say that “deep tillage” alters the soil structure and reduces organic matter leading “to a soil that is addicted to tillage.”

That’s because, he said, tillage is needed to keep loosening the soil to create a root-friendly zone below the surface.