Tillage Survey News Release
For immediate release October 29, 1996
For more information, contact: Editor
at CTIC: (765) 494-9555
Environmentally-friendly farming grows
West Lafayette, Indiana - Almost 36 percent of the land farmed in the U.S. is now
benefitting from systems designed to increase soil productivity, improve water quality and fight
global warming.
That's the latest finding of a national survey compiled by the Conservation Technology
Information Center (CTIC), a nonprofit information/data transfer center in Indiana. The annual
survey of more than 3,000 counties shows farmers used some form of conservation tillage, such
as no-till and mulch-till, on 103.8 million of the 290.2 million acres of cropland farmed in
1996. That represents an almost 5 million acre increase in land farmed with such systems
since last year.
"We really think the continued growth documented by this survey indicates more and more
farmers are understanding the environmental as well as economic benefits of these relatively
new systems," says John Hebblethwaite, CTIC's executive director. He notes conservation
tillage usually requires less time, labor and equipment maintenance than other farming systems.
Farmers who use conservation tillage avoid tilling or disturbing the soil any more than
necessary to plant and manage their cropland. Instead of turning under plant materials or
crop residues (stems, stalks, leaves and roots) following harvest, the residues are left on
the ground to protect the soil from wind and water erosion. Besides serving as a protective
blanket, the crop residues slowly break down, adding organic matter to the top few inches of
the soil.
According to CTIC, research also confirms the less farmers till the soil the more carbon it
stores. That not only helps maintain soil productivity (carbon accounts for half the organic
matter in the soil) but also keeps naturally occurring carbon from releasing into the
atmosphere as carbon dioxide where it could combine with other gases to foster global warming.
More survey highlights....
The latest National Crop Residue Management Survey shows conservation tillage
topped 100 million acres for the first time ever. The new milestone was reached with help
from farmers in states like South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana which are not commonly
recognized for high use of such systems.
According to the survey, farmers in South Dakota led the growth in conservation tillage
systems like no-till and mulch-till, accounting for nearly one million of the additional
4.9 million acres farmed under such systems this year. Also contributing to the growth curve
with gains of more than 300,000 acres each this year are Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Kansas,
Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois. In the meantime Indiana, one of the traditional leaders, posted
a more than 650,000-acre decline in use of conservation tillage.
John Hebblethwaite, executive director of the Conservation Technology Information Center
(CTIC) insists there is reason for both celebration and concern. "We're excited to surpass
this 100-million-acre milestone with terrific performances from emerging states but it is
obvious we have some work to do when a leading state like Indiana experiences such a decline,"
says Hebblethwaite. He notes consistent use of conservation tillage is important if farmers
expect to realize all the economic and environmental benefits available.
Indiana and Ohio were among several Midwestern states that struggled through extended periods
of wet weather at planting time this spring. "It seems we're not doing enough to generate
greater awareness of the techniques and technologies available to help farmers overcome
wet-weather challenges without resorting to intensive tillage," says
Hebblethwaite. He points
to fall strip- preparation techniques that conserve crop residue as one likely solution for the
corn growing challenges faced by farmers in those states this year.
Tillage system/changes in acres planted
Farmers planted an additional 11.5 million acres of cropland this year and much of that may
reflect land returned to production following the end of commodity-based, government set-aside
programs. The survey shows 290.2 million cropland acres were planted this year, compared to
278.7 million last year.
Conservation tillage systems
(30% and more crop residue left after planting) were used on an additional 4.9 million acres
this year compared to 1995:
No-till increased by 2 million acres (from 40.9 million to 42.9 million)
Ridge-till was unchanged at 3.4 million acres
Mulch-till gained 2.9 million acres (from 54.6 million to 57.5 million)
Other tillage systems
(Less than 30% crop residue left after planting) increased by 6.6 million acres this year:
Reduced-till (15-30% residue) gained 4.7 million acres (from 70.1 million to 74.8 million)
Conventional-till (less than 15% residue) gained 1.9 million acres (from 109.6 million to
111.5 million)
Trends
Over the last ten years, conservation tillage systems have experienced greater growth in the
U.S. than any of the early projections anticipated. The growth continued this year, largely
due to increased use of such systems in the northern Great Plains to plant and manage small
grains (most likely wheat) as well as corn. However, in the last two years total no-till corn
acres have been down nationwide. No-till corn reached a high of 14 million acres planted in
1994, declined in 1995 and has yet to rebound with 13.2 million acres planted this year.
Indiana's sizeable decline in conservation tillage acreage was largely due to losses in no-till
corn acreage (274,000 fewer acres planted no-till in '96). Ohio had 100,000 fewer no-till corn
acres this year. Both states were affected by wet weather at planting. On the other hand,
most of the dramatic gains in conservation tillage in South Dakota this year were a product of
increases in no-till and mulch-till corn and small grains.
State highlights by tillage system
The top five no-till states, based on total acres planted with no-till, are: Illinois,
5.8 million acres; Iowa, 4.1 million acres; Indiana, 4.1 million acres; Ohio, 3.8 million
acres; and Missouri, 3.1 million acres.
The top five states, based on percentage of total cropland acres planted no-till are:
Kentucky, 51%; Maryland, 46%; Tennessee, 44%; West Virginia, 39%; Delaware, 38%; and Ohio,
37%.
The top five states, based on total acres planted with mulch-till are: Iowa, 7.4 million
acres; North Dakota, 4.7 million acres; Nebraska, 4.7 million acres; Kansas, 4.5 million
acres; and Texas, 4.4 million acres.
The top five states, based on total ridge-till acres planted are: Nebraska, 1.6 million acres;
Kansas, 384,000 acres; Minnesota, 300,000 acres; Iowa, 194,000 acres; and Louisiana, 187,000
acres.
State highlights by crop
Illinois leads no-till full season (single crop) soybean states with 3.1 million acres planted
this year, followed by Indiana, 2.6 million acres; Iowa, 2.2 million acres; Ohio, 2.2 million
acres; and Missouri, 1.3 million acres.
Iowa remains the leading no-till corn state with 1.8 million acres planted this year, followed
by Nebraska, 1.7 million acres; Illinois, 1.7 million acres; Indiana, 1.1 million acres; and
Ohio, .9 million acres. No-till corn acres declined in Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio this
year while increasing in Missouri, South Dakota, and Nebraska.
Spring and fall planted no-till small grains, lead by wheat, posted a 900,000 acres increase
this year. North Dakota, Ohio, Montana, Missouri, Illinois and South Dakota each gained
300,000 or more acres.
Cotton declined by almost 1.4 million total acres and no-till cotton was down by 50,000 acres.
Tennessee still leads the South in no-till cotton production. Missouri, Alabama, Virginia and
Arkansas posted gains in no-till cotton this year. Louisiana, Georgia, and Arkansas also
posted gains in mulch-till or strip-till cotton.
What to look for in future surveys
USDA estimates that up to 24 million acres are eligible to return to crop production from the
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) within the next year. The influx of additional cropland
acres could result in some sizeable shifts in tillage system usage over the next two years.
Research shows that some of the land idled and planted to grass under the ten-year CRP program
has been improved for production. Better soil erosion control, increased organic matter,
improved soil structure and water infiltration are evident. Research also indicates the less
tillage used, the more likely those improvements can be retained to bolster long-term
productivity. Amid estimates the world's population will nearly double in the next 50 years,
CTIC is recommending farmers remain competitive by considering a conservation tillage system
that will ensure both short-term and long-term productivity and sustainability of their soil
resource base.
The National Crop Residue Management Survey is compiled and published annually by the
Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) in cooperation with the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), soil and water conservation districts and others. CTIC
is a nonprofit information/data transfer center that promotes environmentally and economically
beneficial natural resources systems. ###
New booklet available!
CTIC is offering farmers and others real insight into the management techniques and benefits
of conservation tillage systems with a new booklet entitled Conservation
Tillage: A Checklist for U.S. Farmers. The full-color, 36-page booklet supplies producers with the
information to get a start in high residue farming and should also serve as a great refresher
for the veteran conservation tillage farmer with information on pest, nutrient, and crop
residue management, soil adaptability, regional considerations, and tips for success. Most
should find the publication a real value at just $4.00 a copy. Contact CTIC at (765) 494-9555.
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