With spring field work well under way and crops soon to go in the ground, now is a good time to remind those who participate in USDA programs of conservation compliance.

Fields with tillage, depressions or areas that could wash should be maintained at a minimum as a plow/skip waterway.

However, in some no-till fields it would be prudent to leave a grassed waterway where long slope lengths or farming practices can tend to concentrate flow, creating a gully problem.

In recent years, vertical tillage has become a popular item, especially with some of the no-tillers.

While it does do a good job of incorporating residue, farmers need to be aware of the shallow disturbance left after a pass creating almost a sheeting effect during a storm event.

There is also some research to show one pass with a vertical tillage tool incorporates 10 to 20 percent residue but has little effect on water infiltration; two passes with a vertical till is the equivalent of moldboard plowing.

For those who are interested in farming new ground, whether it be clearing off an old pasture field or clearing a small woodlot, a wetland determination needs to be completed before these activities take place.

While it may seem foolish and unnecessary for a field on top of a hill, in the long run it not only protects the interest of the farmer but it also keeps these types of activities on the forefront so if a planned clearing does come up as a potential problem it can be avoided rather than dealing with corrective measures that can be much more costly after the fact.

Finally, for those with pasture the month of May is the best time to deal with controlling multiflora rose. During the flowering stage, spraying the plant with Crossbow or Cimarron or Ally are effective ways to kill the plant without doing a lot of damage to the surrounding pasture.

Keep in mind, Crossbow does have a water restriction and control can be iffy based on the size of the plant, but working at controlling rose bushes a little bit each year will really help control their spread in pasture areas.

Andy Gaver is a conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Butler County.