For many farmers, crop residue can either be a plus or a minus. Crop residue has many beneficial plant nutrients when it decomposes, but when the residue is slow to break down, it keeps soils cold and wet, and can be difficult to plant. Good crop residue breakdown is dependent upon moisture, temperature, soil microbes (fungi and bacteria) and particle size. Late harvesting and some insecticides and herbicides may delay or inhibit crop residue break down. When crop residue is slow to decompose; planting equipment can plug easier, crop populations may decline, and tires on equipment tend to wear out faster. When crops are harvested late, soil temperatures often decline. Most soil microbes (bacteria and fungi) grow the fastest when soil temperatures are above 50OF. Excessively wet soil conditions favor bacteria that thrive in low oxygen, and slows down crop residue digestion. Well aerated soils have aerobic bacteria that consume the sugars and easy to digest crop residues rapidly. E...