CTIC NEWS RELEASE
Conservation Technology Information Center
1220 Potter Drive, Rm. 170
West Lafayette, IN 47906-1383
Phone: (765) 494-9555, Fax: (765) 494-5969
Web site: http://www.ctic.purdue.edu
For immediate release October 22, 1997
Contact: Jim Mitchell, 765-494-9555
Conservation tillage in U.S. gains 6 million acres
Environmentally friendly farming eclipses
intensive tillage for the first time
West Lafayette, IN - For the first time ever, U.S. farmers are planting more
acres to crops using soil building and pollution fighting farming methods
than traditional methods that rely on the plow or intensive tillage. The
National Crop Residue Management Survey of farming methods-due for release
early next month-shows a 6 million acre gain for environmentally friendly
farming systems this year. It also shows traditional farming methods, which
result in greater soil erosion and runoff from fields, declined by 4 million
acres.
The annual survey is conducted on a county-by-county basis by USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offices, and soil and water
conservation districts to track farming systems used on annually planted
crops (crops that are planted each year such as corn, wheat, soybeans,
etc.). The survey results indicate that the environmentally friendly farming
systems known as conservation tillage systems - no-till, mulch-till, and
ridge-till -account for 109.8 million acres or fully 37 percent of the 294.6
million cropland acres planted in the U.S. this year. That puts
conservation tillage systems ahead of so-called conventional-till (plowed or
intensively tilled) systems which fell by 4 million acres this year for a
total 107.6 million acres planted. A system called reduced-till accounts
for the rest of the cropland (77.3 million acres) planted in 1997.
Big gainers
The survey indicates that farmers in five states - Iowa, Illinois, South
Dakota, Kansas, and Indiana, contributed most to the increase in acres grown
with conservation tillage systems. Together these states accounted for 5
million of the 6 million acre increase in conservation tillage this year.
Farmers in Iowa adopted conservation tillage planting and management systems
on more than 1.5 million additional cropland acres in 1997 to lead all other
states while producers in Illinois added over 1 million acres. South Dakota
growers turned in another impressive performance after being the leading
gainer last year, adding 800,000 more acres of conservation tillage this
year. Kansas farmers almost matched that number with 790,000 new acres
under conservation tillage in 1997. Indiana growers rebounded from a loss
in such acreage last year to post a better than 680,000 acre gain this year.
Among states with 1 million to 13 million or more acres of total cropland,
the survey found that conservation tillage systems are now the conventional
way of farming (used on more than 50% of total cropland acres) in Iowa,
Nebraska, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Maryland. Michigan almost
qualifies with just under 50%. Growers in Iowa, Indiana, North Carolina,
Illinois, South Dakota, and Kansas increased the percentage of total
cropland planted to conservation tillage in their respective states by 3
percent or more this year.
Environmental and economic benefits
All conservation tillage systems such as no-till, mulch-till, and ridge-till
(as well as systems known as strip-till or zone-till) rely on less tillage
or less soil disturbance to plant and manage crops. Farmers who use these
systems leave plant materials - stems, stalks and leaves - on the surface of
fields after harvest. The plant materials, also called crop residues, serve
as a blanket to protect the soil from erosion. The crop residues slowly
decompose to add organic matter to the soil much like mulching or composting
adds organic matter to gardens.
The head of the nonprofit center that compiles the annual survey is calling
on consumers and farmers alike to focus increased attention on the value of
such farming systems. "Across the nation, scientific research and practical
application show that these systems not only replenish and build organic
matter in the soil for improved future food productivity but they will also
protect water quality and enhance wildlife and the environment for future
generations," says John Hebblethwaite (pronounced HEBBLE-th-wait), executive
director of the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC). "There
is also growing evidence they can even help us combat the possibility of
global warming," he adds.
Hebblethwaite notes the center and its agricultural partners have pledged to
help equip farmers for routine use of such environmentally friendly systems
while educating consumers. "We are committed to seeing conservation tillage
on 50 percent of the annually planted acres in the United States by 2002 but
we will need the help of everyone who is serious about a safe and
sustainable food supply to realize that goal," he insists.
"Amid predictions that the world's population will nearly double and food
demand triple in the next 40 to 50 years, we consider our goal only a
necessary start in the right direction," says Hebblethwaite. "We know that,
at the very least, these systems can improve soil quality to support new
production technologies needed to meet such demand," he adds. While
conservation tillage systems have long been credited for reducing runoff
from fields, the latest research shows soil enriched by decomposing crop
residues contains more natural microbes that also offer greater groundwater
protection.
Conservation tillage systems offer farmers a more economical way of growing
crops. Such systems reduce the number of trips through the field for
planting and cultivation, saving producers labor, time, fuel and machinery
wear while building soil productivity.
Impact of land coming out of CRP yet to be felt
Due to the timing of this year's survey, compared to Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP) contract expirations and related sign-ups, the survey does not
reflect the potentially drastic impact of acres coming out of the CRP.
These acres would show up under additional acres planted (only 4.5 million
additional acres were planted this year). Land coming out of CRP could
register a marked increased in additional acres planted during next year's
survey.
Because conservation tillage systems as well as the plow or intensive
tillage systems are being used to prepare former CRP acres for production,
next year's survey could tell whether this year's gains for conservation
tillage continue or suffer a setback from use of traditional farming
methods. (Information on converting acres from CRP to cropland with
conservation tillage is available at our Web site, see note to editors
below.)
Tillage system/changes in acres planted for 1997
Farmers planted an additional 4.5 million acres of cropland this year with
4.3 million additional acres of soybeans accounting for most of that
increase. The survey shows 294.6 million acres of cropland were planted
this year, compared to 290.2 million acres last year.
Conservation tillage systems (30% or more crop residue left on the soil
surface after planting) were used on an additional 6 million acres this
year, compared to 1996: no-till increased by 3.1 million acres (from 42.9
million to 46 million); mulch-till increased 2.5 million acres (from 57.5
million to 60 million); and ridge-till increased by almost 400 thousand
acres (from 3.4 million to 3.7 million).
Other tillage systems (less than 30% crop residue left after planting)
include: reduced-till (15-30% crop residue left after planting) which gained
2.5 million acres (from 74.8 million to 77.3 million); conventional-till or
intensively tilled acres (less than 15% residue) were down 4 million acres
(from 111.6 million to 107.6 million) this year.
State highlights by tillage system
The top five states, based on total acres planted with no-till in 1997, are:
Illinois, 5.9 million acres; Iowa, 4.9 million acres; Indiana, 4.1 million
acres; Ohio, 3.7 million; and Missouri, 3.2 million acres. Nebraska is
beginning to challenge Missouri for a place in this category with 3 million
acres planted with no-till this year.
The top five states, based on total acres planted with mulch-till are: Iowa,
8.2 million acres; North Dakota,4.8 million acres; Kansas, with just over
4.7 million acres; Texas, 4.7 million acres; and Nebraska, 4.6 million acres.
The top five states, based on total acres planted with ridge-till are:
Nebraska, 1.7 million; Kansas, 495,000 acres; Minnesota, 311,000 acres;
Louisiana, 263,000, and Iowa with 174,000 acres.
State highlights by crop
The top five states for conservation tillage (sum of mulch-till, no-till and
ridge-till) soybean acres include Iowa, 7.3 million; Illinois, 6.2 million;
Indiana, 3.6 million; Missouri, 2.9 million; and Minnesota, 2.8 million.
The top five states for conservation tillage corn acres include Nebraska, 6
million; Iowa, 5.5 million; Illinois, 3 million; South Dakota, 1.9 million;
and Indiana, 1.8 million acres (Kansas is close behind with 1.7 million).
The top five states for conservation tillage small grains (wheat, oats,
barley, rice) acres include North Dakota, 5 million; Montana, 3.3 million;
Kansas, 2.8 million; Texas 2.7 million; and South Dakota, 1.6 million.
Editors, please note: Downloadable high resolution photos and graphics
related to this news release are available under the Farm Resources
Management icon at our Web site. A booklet to
help growers get a start in conservation tillage- Conservation Tillage: A
Checklist for U.S. Farmers -is available from CTIC. It is among nearly 60
items featured in our new CTIC Catalog. The catalog is available free upon
request (765)494-9555. Also see information about converting CRP to cropland at
the Web site.
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