No-Till Practices
McKenna Speed, Lily Kostanko, Megan Nichols and Logan Bruneau
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Introduction to No-Till
No-till agriculture is defined as growing crops in soil that is undisturbed by tilling. This practice is shown to increase soil productivity and quality, reduce fuel consumption, and lead to higher crop yields. According to geologist David Montgomery, “the world loses roughly 23 billion tons of good soil each year. At this rate, it will all be gone within 150 years.” No-till practices leave the soil undisturbed, allowing beneficial organisms to establish communities within the soil, increasing nutrient cycling and suppressing plant diseases.
Global
No-till agriculture has been used globally for thousands of years prior to the development of modern agriculture techniques. When considering global scale implementation of no-till agriculture, the differing climates of the world must be taken into account. No-till works well in soil that does not have a high clay content, which is unlikely to be farmed in the first place. An adoption of no-till practices would greatly reduce the amount of chemical fertilizer needed to meet the growing demand. According to the FAO, roughly 200,000,000 tonnes of chemical fertilizer is used each year globally. This causes many issues downstream from runoff and contamination. Any reduction in this demand would have a positive impact on the environment, which practicing no-till farming would achieve.
National
There is a huge amount of viable farmland in the U.S. that gets damaged due to conventional agricultural practices. Fertile soil is turned into dust from over growth of chemical dependent foods like soybeans and corn. Monoculture and tilling every growing season destroys the natural processes at work that restore the soil’s natural balances. Smaller more efficient farms may be the solution. According to a research paper from Penn State University, the mid Atlantic region of this country has smaller farms when compared to the rest of the nation, and there is a push for lower labor intensive no till practices to be implemented. These farms have similar to greater output than conventionally farmed plots of land, as well as a decrease in reliance on chemical fertilizers and fossil fuel usage for equipment. This would have a huge positive environmental impact if put into use across the country.
Local
Minimal till practices are already in place locally at the SAP. The soil there is high in clay content, so raised beds must be used to aerate the soil to adequately provide for the plants being grown there. Planting cover crops and then tilling them into these raised beds would be hugely beneficial to the soil, and provide a good source of organic matter for composting.
Background Research
Increasing healthy soils at Galusha farms
This study conducted by the USDA analyzes how No-till Farming practices are beneficial to soil health, and how to use it as a tool to trandrom landscapes. First and foremost, No-till practices reduce soil erosion, a huge threat to the health of the soil. Silt runoff carries with it crucial nutrients and growing medium for healthy growth. No-till practices not only reduces the destruction of healthy soil, but aids in the new production of soil. This method increases rainwater infiltration, organic matter retention, cycling of nutrients, moisture retention, and microbial diversity. This method requires less fossil fuels and labor as well.
Mid American no-till practices
This study analyzes No-till Farming practices in a specific region of the United States. The mid-Atlantic region has successfully implemented No-till practices for grain production. Their goal was to reduce fossil fuel usage for tillage, labor and time requirements needed to meet a specific production quota. In addition to No-till practices, cover cropping and organic rotational farming practices were used to achieve this. These practices also reduced the amount of chemical fertilizers used, another benefit to No-till practices.
World fertilizer usage
The worldwide consumption of fertilizers directly negatively impacts the surrounding environments of farms due to agricultural runoff. This study analyzes the three main fertilizer nutrients and their usage globally. This is important to No-till practices because these numbers should be a target for reduction via this technique.
No till practices in Michigan with corn and soybeans
Farmers are often hesitant to change their proven tactics for producing a specific yield per acre. This is understandable because any reduction in yield will tighten already tight margins. This study shows that No-till practices are significantly better for both the environment and crop yield. This long term study demonstrates that No-till practices are hugely beneficial after the 30 year threshold as well, increasing yield every year over conventional farming techniques. Initial economic losses of new farming techniques are virtually null when switching to No-till, as no new equipment or chemicals are needed, as well as it reduces the amount of labor needed to produce the same yield.
Benefits and Steps for no-till practices
This study details the steps of how to successfully implement No-till farming practices and its benefits. Some of these benefits include carbon sequestration, decreased soil erosion, organic matter retention and micro aggregate stabilization. It also increases soil fertility and air quality due to greenhouse gas production from fossil fuel usage on equipment. It also discusses how to implement seed timing practices to properly take advantage of cover cropping, as well as how to successfully plant them to allow proper growth.
Implementation Plan
Our implementation plan for reducing tillage needs and promoting soil health is to begin using oats as a cover crop. Not only are they a native plant to Michigan, but they also grow quickly, so they make an excellent cover crop, especially after crops like wheat, vegetables, or corn silage have been grown in the same field, which are common in Michigan. Oats also have other benefits, such as: the use for forage for animals, weed suppression, nutrient removal, erosion control, and also soil softening. If oats are planted with legume stands, they can also scavenge nutrients and enhance the legume stand. All of these factors contribute to a healthier overall soil for agriculture. Oats are also relatively cheap, which is why our team would suggest going in for 25 pounds of oat seed for approximately $34.95, which is a small amount of money in terms of the ecological benefits they could provide.
Budget Plan
Timeline
Triple Bottom Line
Environmental
Soil Benefits
Steps to Successful No-Till Establishment of Forages (E2880) - MSU Extension
No till practices are the best among tilling practices for storing carbon from the air in the soil (carbon sequestration)
Increased earthworm and biological (like fungi) populations that help create better soil physical properties
Improves soil and air quality
Contributes to higher soil biological activity
Improves nutrient holding capacity of the soil
Healthy soils
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/newsroom/features/?cid=nrcseprd1307111
“By not plowing or disking, cover crop residue remains on the surface, protecting the soil from crusting, erosion, high summer temperatures and moisture loss. Additionally, the soil structure remains intact and improves every year.”
Increased water infiltration
Social
No-till practices at the SAP provide educational experience for ENS and NRM classes
Provide volunteer opportunities
Economic
Cover crops planted at the SAP could be harvested and sold at GVSU farmer’s market
Reduced time spent on tilling efforts and possible reduction of machine maintenance
References
Christina Curell, Michigan State University Extension. “Champion of Cover Crops: Oats.” MSU Extension, 29 July 2021, www.canr.msu.edu/news/champion_of_cover_crops_oats#:%7E:text=Oats%20have%20been%20a%20widely%20used%20as%20a%20cover%20crop%20for%20decades.&text=Oats%20are%20a%20cool%20season,erosion%20control%20and%20soil%20softening.
Leep, Richard. “Steps to Successful No-Till Establishment of Forages (E2880).” MSU Extension, 10 Nov. 2015, www.canr.msu.edu/resources/steps_to_successful_no_till_establishment_of_forages_e2880.
“Soil Health Practices and No-till Farming Transform Landscapes | NRCS.” USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2016, www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/newsroom/features/?cid=nrcseprd1307111.
Mirsky, Steven B., et al. “Conservation Tillage Issues: Cover Crop-Based Organic Rotational No-till Grain Production in the Mid-Atlantic Region, USA.” Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, vol. 27, no. 1, 2012, pp. 31–40. Crossref, doi:10.1017/s1742170511000457.
“World Fertilizer Trends and Outlook to 2020.” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2017, www.fao.org/3/i6895e/i6895e.pdf.
“No-till Agriculture Increases Crop Yields, Environmental Gains Over Long Haul.” Michigan State University College of Natural Science, 18 May 2020, natsci.msu.edu/news/no-till-agriculture-increases-crop-yields-environmental-gains-over-long-haul.
ElectricChoice.com. “Electricity Rates for Texas and the Rest of the Country (September 2021) – Electric Choice.” ElectricChoice.Com, 23 Sept. 2021, www.electricchoice.com/electricity-prices-by-state.
“Water Prices By State 2021.” World Population Review, 2021, worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/water-prices-by-state.
Crops typical planting harvesting dates by states - swat. (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2021, from https://swat.tamu.edu/media/90113/crops-typicalplanting-harvestingdates-by-states.pdf.
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