Tillage Survey News Release
For use October 1992 - September 1993
For more information, contact: Editor
at CTIC: (765) 494-9555
1992 CTIC Survey: Environmentally-sound
Crop Management Prevails in U.S.
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - An annual survey shows farmers are applying environmentally-
sound crop management systems on a record number of acres in the United States.
The 1992 National Crop Residue Management Survey indicates more dm 57 percent or
161.7 million acres of the 282.9 million acres planted annually in America are
utilizing systems that offer added economic and environmental benefits. Crop
residue management is one of a number of conservation practices farmers across the
nation use to protect the soil.
Farmers planted 88.7 million acres in fields that left at least 30 percent of the
crop residue (stalks or stubble from the previous crop) on the soil surface and an
additional 73 million acres are farmed with at least 15 percent of the crop residue
remaining, according to Jerry Hytry, Executive Director of the Conservation Technology
Information Center (CTIC) which coordinates the annual survey.
"It's obvious an increasing number of U.S. growers are recognizing the economic value
of leaving plant residue from the previous crop on the soil surface," says
Hytry. He
notes this type of crop residue management protects the land from excessive erosion
and improves water quality while saving farmers labor, fuel, and farm machinery costs.
CTIC Field Specialist Dan McCain is the coordinator of the survey (formerly known as
the National Survey of Conservation Tillage Practices) which provides information on
eleven crop categories and five tillage systems. According to McCain, this year's
data indicates the strongest trends toward higher use of crop residues since the
survey debuted eleven years ago.
Conservation tillage categories
McCain notes the three categories of conservation tillage that involve farming with
the highest levels of crop residues on the soil surface (30 percent or more residue
left after planting): no-till, mulch-till, and ridge-till posted significant national
increases. These three systems now account for nearly one-third or 88.7 million acres
of all planted acres in the nation. 'This year, an additional 9.5 million acres
shifted to benefit from higher residue levels available through some form of
conser-
vation tillage," says McCain, noting much of the increase can be credited to
Midwes-
tern states. Farmers in Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and North Dakota lead the
nation in applying conservation tillage systems. Missouri, Indiana, South Dakota,
Texas and Minnesota are among the top ten conservation tillage states.
The most dramatic increase among the conservation tillage systems came in the no-till
category, increasing from 20.6 million acres in 1991 to 28.1 million acres in 1992.
The state of Iowa posted the biggest jump in no-till acreage going from seventh with
972,000 acres in 1991 to second nationally with 2.7 million acres in 1992. Illinois
continues to lead the way with 4.7 million acres. Indiana is third in no-till with
2.6 million acres followed by Ohio with 2.4 million, and Missouri with 1.9 million.
No-till gained significant acreage in full season corn, soybeans and cotton while
posting moderate increases in small grains, grain sorghum and forage seeding.
No-till acres of full season soybeans increased dramatically for the fifth consecutive year.
The 1992 figure is nearly four times the notill soybean acreage
documented in 1989. The cotton crop, which began indicating no-till increases more
recently, shows a tremendous gain of ten times the 1989 acreage. Tennessee,
Mississippi and Alabama lead the growth curve in no-till cotton in 1992.
Mulch-till highlights
Mulch-till remains the leader among the conservation tillage systems, accounting for
64.6 percent of all conservation tillage acres planted. U.S. farmers added another
2 million acres of mulch-till for the third consecutive year for a total of 57.3
million.
Iowa leads the pack in mulch-till acres with 6.7 million acres, followed closely by
Illinois with 6.3 million acres and Nebraska with 4.7 million acres. Rounding out the
top six are Kansas, 4.5 million acres; North Dakota, 4.3 million acres; and Texas
with 3.8 million acres.
The leading mulch till crops include 17.4 million acres of corn, 12.5 million acres
of soybeans, 12.2 million acres of fall seeded small grains, and 8.2 million acres of
spring seeded small grains.
Ridge-till highlights
Ridge-till increased for the eleventh consecutive year of the survey. U.S. farmers
added 200,000 acres of ridge-tilled crops this year, bringing the total to 3.4 million
acres.
The western Corn Belt and Northern Plains states have readily adopted ridge-till
which is a favored conservation tillage system among farmers who utilize furrow
irrigation. "The eastern Corn Belt appears to be shifting away from ridge-till in
favor of narrow row no-till soybean production," says McCain.
Nebraska is the leading ridge-till state with 1.3 million acres followed by Minnesota
with 573,000 acres, Iowa with 282,000 acres, Kansas with 199,000 acres, and Illinois
with 198,000 acres.
15-30 percent residue highlights
A limited system of crop residue management (leaving 15 to 30 percent residue after
planting) grew by one million acres for a total of 73 million acres this year. While
this system does not meet residue requirements to qualify as conservation tillage, it
does provide a level of erosion control and water quality benefits.
CTIC promotes the adoption of environmentally responsible conservation systems that
enhance agricultural viability by serving as a technology transfer resource center.
Established in 1982, the Center is a division of the National Association of Conservation
Districts. It is administered cooperatively by industry, governmental agencies,
foundations, institutions, and organizations.
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