The Northeast and Appalachia region has a long-standing and growing interest in no-till farming. In fact, since the 1970s, the rate of increase of no-till acreage was greater here than in any other U.S. region.
Smaller farm fields and steep slopes that make erosion control vital are among the reasons this region is more receptive to no-till. In addition, soils are either unglaciated and/or have better drainage, conditions well-suited to high-residue farming. The overall time and labor savings has helped many farmers, particularly where traditionally high numbers of livestock are managed.
Major crops in this region include corn, soybeans, small grains, and vegetables. Corn silage and hay are key forage crops.

Challenges
The northeastern states are characteristically cold and wet during the normal corn-planting period. As a result, any surface residue that provides a mulch will delay soil warming. In general, continued growth of no-till techniques has been hampered by slower drying and warming of soils in the spring.
Other challenges in this region include maintaining adequate residue cover on corn silage acreage and managing animal manure in high residue systems.

Possible solutions
Surface cultivation or some form of mulch-till before planting may help reduce the negative effect of cool soil temperatures. Using row cleaners on the planter, fall strip-till (on relatively flat soils), or zone- or strip-till systems could also help the soil dry and warm more quickly in the spring.
In this region, use of starter fertilizer, particularly nitrogen, is highly recommended. For soils that test low to medium for phosphorus, banded starter phosphorus may also be beneficial. Where animal manure is frequently applied, manure testing, in addition to regular soil testing, is recommended to make efficient use of this nutrient resource.

Livestock and hay production require adjustments for conservation tillage systems.

This region includes:
Connecticut
Delaware
Kentucky (eastern)
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Vermont
West Virginia

Applying straw-type manures could be beneficial for replacing some of the crop residues used for silage.
Because a high percentage of corn is used for silage, consider the use of fall cover crops (like rye), which will provide adequate soil protection over the winter months.
Intense management is required to achieve success with cover crops. In particular, the timing of kill in the spring is critical. Too early can result in a mat of residue that further delays drying and warming. Too late may cause problems with insect and weed pressure as well as planter performance. Scouting is a key component for cover crop management.
Methods for seeding cover crops include:
Interseeding into corn at
last cultivation
Drilling immediately after
silage harvest
Using a tractor-mounted
rotary seeder
Broadcasting following a
light disking (1 / 2 to 1
inch) immediately after
silage harvest
Seeding aerially into
standing corn in late
August

For more region-specific information on conservation tillage, send for one of the publications listed on page 35.