No-till Practices
No-till practices are used around the world to reduce costs, increase soil fertility, and limit erosion. No-till is when residue from the previous seasons crop is left on the soil surface, instead of being chopped up and tilled into the soil. Leaving the residue on the surface provides greater structure to the soil, increasing organic matter content and limiting loss of topsoil.
Global
On a global scale, the amount of no till land has increased drastically. Since 2009, the amount of no tilled land worldwide has grown over 90%, resulting in over 500 million acres today. The countries with the most no-tilled land include the U.S, Brazil, and Argentina, with 109 million, 106 million, and 81 million acres, respectively.
National
About 37% of U.S. farm acreage uses no-till farming, with strong adoption rates in the Northeast, the mid-Atlantic states and the Midwest. The Northeast and Midwest regions often have heavier soil types, such as clay soils, which are more prone to erosion. No-till farming helps to retain soil moisture and prevent erosion, making it more appealing in these regions.
Local - GVSU Sustainable Agriculture Project
The Sustainable Agriculture Project here at Grand Valley practices no till. In the hoop houses, they use a broad fork to open up the ground before shaping the beds and planting seeds. In the fields, the use clover as their cover crop after harvesting and prior to planting the following season.
Background Information
What is tillage?
Tillage is the practice of turning over soil in a field or garden to prepare a seed bed for a new crop to be planted into. Tillage is done to bury the previous crops residue and chop it into smaller pieces to be decomposed quicker. Although a commonly used practice, tillage has many negative impacts, such as increased erosion, soil compaction, degrading of natural soil structure, and destruction of wildlife dens/nests.
Negative Impacts of Tillage
Soil Erosion
The steel plow was invented by John Deere in 1837, revolutionizing the way farming was done in the United States. Since then, the Midwestern U.S. has lost around 57.6 billion tons of topsoil. Studies show that approximately 30% of the United States corn belt (100 million acres) has completely lost its A-horizon (topsoil layer contain high levels of carbon).
Wildlife Harm
Crop residue is an important winter food source for many wildlife species, such as deer, turkeys, squirrels, and mice. Small mammals, like mice, use the crop residue in fall and winter to evade aerial predators and nest in the residue. Animals such as ground hogs, coyotes, and badgers excavate dens and burrows in crop fields. Tillage destroys this beneficial habitat and can lead to harm or death of these animals.
Soil Compaction
Years of tilling a field/garden can lead to sub-surface soil compaction, creating a layer commonly referred to as the "plow pan". This compaction can restrict root growth, leading to nutrient and water deficiencies due to plant roots not being able to grow through the compacted soil.
No-till in Commercial Agriculture
No-till is very popular in the western United States where fields can be upwards of 500 acres and soils are heavily sand and prone to erosion.
Equipment such as row cleaners are required for planting devices to remove crop residue from furrows to plant crops.
No-till has shown benefits to water retention in soils, making it popular to drought prone areas in the southwestern United States.
No-till in Gardening
Mulching is done to increase organic matter content of soil.
Compost is heavily utilized in no-till gardening methods to manage nutrient levels and also aid in increasing organic matter content of the soil.
A broad fork is used to aerate the soil and create openings for seeds to be planted and grow through mulch and compost layers.
No-till Benefits:
No-tilling has many beneficial impacts, including:
Saving water
No-till under center pivot irrigation can save up to 5 inches of water annually.
Water savings reduce pumping costs, a direct saving to the operator.
Keeps yields high despite years with little rain
Saving labor, fuel and farming equipment costs.
Reducing erosion
Increasing soil organic matter in the top few inches of the soil
Sustaining the amount of phosphorus in the soil
Use of Compost
The use of compost helps to reduce the amount of weeds that grow around your plants. This compost material is placed on garden beds are they are beng built up and getting ready for planting. Compost is organic matter that adds the nutrients that your plants need to grow.
Triple Bottom Line
Social - When practicing no till at the SAP, 2 peole will be providing labor. One person will be using the broad fork and another to shape the beds. In a tilling process, there will still be 2 people providing labor (one using a push tractor and the other shaping the beds), though one person will have ear protection on due to the noise.
Economic - Depending on the type of farming, implementing no-till requires an increase in labor. At the SAP, no-till requires more labor due to the fact that using the broad fork tool takes more time rather than using a push tractor when tilling.
Environmental - No till is absolutely better for the environment in many ways. Tilling with a tractor requires more fuel which releases gasses into the air. No-till also improves soil structure, as the soil does not get compacted into the ground due to running a tractor over the bed. The use of compost helps to improve water conservation due to the amount of water it can hold.
Implementation Plan:
Since not many people know about the GVSU Sustainable Agriculture Project, the SAP could implement signage out front to educate people on their No-till practices. Someone would have to design the sign, display the sign on a post, then post on social media for visitors to come learn about No-till. Items included on the sign will be information about the compost used and its benefits for the crops and how it keep weeds from germinating. Also, information about the broad fork used after harvesting and prior to planting to get oxygen into the soil while not disturbing the soil too much. Most importantly, include the economic and environmental benefits of no-till practices. Though No-till requires more labor, it has environmental benefits that outweigh that set back.
Budget:
36"X48" sign on signs.com = $66.75
4X4 post to display sign = $10.48
Labor for designing sign = about 3 hours
References:
ARS scientist highlights till vs. no-till farming. ARS Scientist Highlights Till vs. No-Till Farming : USDA ARS. (2022, November 14). https://www.ars.usda.gov/oc/dof/ars-scientist-highlights-till-vs-no-till-farming/
Johnson, R. J. (n.d.). Wildlife damage in conservation tillage agriculture: A new challenge. DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/vpc12/33/
Kulikowski, M. (2022, August 15). No-till farming study shows benefit to Midwestern Land Values. NC State News. https://news.ncsu.edu/2022/08/no-till-farming-shows-farmland-value-benefit
Martinovich, M., & Martinovich, M. (2023, January 30). The Ultimate Guide to no-till gardening • new life on a Homestead. New Life On A Homestead. https://www.newlifeonahomestead.com/no-till-gardening
Paukner, M. (2021, October 22). Worldwide no-till acres increase 93% in 10 years. https://www.no-tillfarmer.com/articles/10906-worldwide-no-till-acres-increase-93-in-10-years
The process, Pros, and cons of no-till farming. Seed St. Louis. https://seedstl.org/tips-and-tricks/the-process-pros-and-cons-of-no-till-farming/#:~:text=No%2Dtill%20farming%20also%20has,farms%20save%20on%20water%20costs
Understanding and managing soil compaction in agricultural fields: New Mexico State University - be bold. shape the future. Understanding and Managing Soil Compaction in Agricultural Fields | New Mexico State University - BE BOLD. Shape the Future. (n.d.). https://pubs.nmsu.edu/_circulars/CR672/#:~:text=Subsurface%20compaction%20can%20also%20be,pan%22%20(Figure%205).
X, S. (2021, February 15). Corn Belt farmland has lost a third of its carbon-rich soil. Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2021-02-corn-belt-farmland-lost-carbon-rich.html
