Soil Organic Matter Management Guide
Guide to building and keeping soil organic matter through residue, rotation, tillage and amendments, with steps for tracking change field by field. Work through the steps in order and keep notes on what you find along the way.
GuideSoil, Water & ConservationFree PDF
The steps on this page
- Record the field's current organic matter test
- Review rotation and residue returned
- Reduce tillage where practical
- Add cover crops or perennial phases
- Use manure or compost where suitable
- Protect soil from erosion
- Keep living roots in the ground longer
- Retest on a regular schedule
How to use this guide
Walk a new hand through the steps once, then let them use the page on their own. Add your own notes as you learn what works.
Where to check the details
This sheet is a general template, so confirm specifics with your own manuals, labels and local rules. For current official guidance, start with USDA NRCS and eXtension.
For more in this area, see the row crop calendar. Between chores, farm.FM has farm humor, including From Soil to Success: How Texas Tech’s Dirt Experts Are Cultivating the Future, and farming farm stories.