URBANA, Ill. — Dust storms have become an increasing concern in Illinois, prompting investigations into their causes and potential solutions. These weather events have resulted in fatalities, including a 2023 traffic accident that took the lives of eight people on a central Illinois interstate highway. To effectively prevent future dust storms, it is essential to understand the contributing factors and identify steps to address them.
While changes in spring weather patterns might seem like a direct cause of increased dust storms, a closer examination reveals a more complex picture. While wind speeds and soil moisture show some variability, no clear statewide weather trends explain the recent dust storms. This suggests that while weather can be a factor in localized situations, it is not the primary cause of widespread dust storms.
What about farm practices that contribute to blowing soil particles? While tillage is not a new concept and has been used by farmers for decades, technological advances in farm machinery have expanded farm equipment's speed and productivity, leading to more efficient cultivation and earlier planted farmland. Fence rows that may have once slowed damaging winds have been removed to clear the way for larger farm operations.
Dig Deeper into Managing Today’s Farm Practices
While there are multiple factors involved, one thing is clear. No one can control the weather, but farmers can adjust their management practices to reduce the risks. A logical first step is to reduce the number of tillage passes, especially in fields adjacent to busy highways, to begin moving toward conservation tillage.
Farmers can save on time, fuel, and the wear and tear on their equipment by minimizing field traffic and passes. Additionally, increased soil productivity can be achieved through reduced erosion, enhanced water infiltration, and decreased water evaporation during dry periods, according to the Managing Crop Residues in Corn and Soybeans research report from the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and University of Wisconsin Extension.
According to conservation research from Al-Kaisi and Hanna at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, reduced tillage systems can help minimize the risk of soil compaction and lessen environmental impacts on soil and water quality.
Many farmers have shown success with strip-till, where only part of the ground is tilled, where the crop seed is planted, and the rest remains intact. A team of Illinois crop researchers, Rolle, Schaefer, Nafziger, and Preza Fontes’ recently published 2024 findings found that soybean fields planted in strip-tilled fields produced higher yields than those planted in conventionally tilled fields. Farming with higher crop residue of 30% residue or more, offers other significant advantages.
Transitioning to no-till offers additional benefits, including research from Michigan State University and Ohio State University showing long-term no-till practices result in increased soil organic matter and moisture retention, leading to higher crop yields. The benefits of transitioning to a no-till system take time to be realized and are often seen through improved soil health. It’s worth considering transitioning a portion of acreage at a time. Fields located along busy highways lacking traditional windbreaks may offer a good starting point.
Cover Crops
“Adding cover crops to long-term conservation tillage or no-till systems further builds on these improvements,” says Rachel Curry, commercial agriculture educator with University of Illinois Extension. “Cover crops help fields dry out earlier for spring field work and combat soil erosion while increasing soil organic matter.”
Winter hardy species such as triticale, cereal rye, or winter wheat can be planted after the fall harvest, establishing living roots in the soil that persist through the winter into the following spring. In addition to helping hold soil in place, cover crops scavenge excess nutrients leftover from previous cash crops, reducing nutrient loss to our streams and rivers.
Understanding which cover crop species or mix to use to reach the goals of the field can be overwhelming. The Midwest Cover Crop Council has created a selector tool to assist farmers in selecting the cover crops for their system. Cover crop experts developed the selector tool to help make selections at a county level. This tool can also help identify the cover crop species or mix that will help attain the goals for a field, including reducing erosion and nutrient loss.
Financial incentives are available to offset the cost of cover crops, including crop insurance premium discounts through the Illinois Department of Agriculture and federal programs such as the Conservation Stewardship Program and Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources.
Cover crop cost-share programs are available through non-government organizations like Precision Conservation Management and Archer Daniels Midland re: generations. The Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership has created a cover crop incentive directory to provide information regarding agency and private cost-share opportunities and a cover crop dealer directory. ISAP recently released the Financial Incentives Database FIND Tool, which allows farmers to compare programs and select the best option for their operation.
Pinpointing the exact causes of dust storms may be difficult due to the many factors involved. Farmers can consider reducing or eliminating tillage and adding cover crops to positively impact those factors, especially in highly erodible areas near busy highways. Identifying steps to build into practice helps everyone be part of the solution.
For more information, read more in Illinois Extension's Dust Storms in Illinois: Examining Roles of Weather and Farming Practices or contact a local Extension office.
SOURCES/WRITERS: Kevin Brooks, Tara Heath, and Rachel Curry, commercial agriculture educators, Illinois Extension; Duane Friend, state Master Naturalist coordinator and state climate change specialist, Illinois Extension; and Dan Schaefer, director of nutrient stewardship, Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association.
EDITOR: Jenna Braasch, media communications coordinator, Illinois Extension
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.