As springtime approaches and area farmers plan for this coming planting season, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources urges farmers to consider making conservation tillage their primary seeding technique.

Monday, February 04, 2002

As springtime approaches and area farmers plan for this coming planting season, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources urges farmers to consider making conservation tillage their primary seeding technique.

Larry Vance, chief of the ODNR Division of Soil and Water Conservation said "conservation tillage is the single best practice a crop farmer can use to save soil and protect groundwater. We need to continue to build on the great legacy our state has as a leader in the development and use of this resource-protecting practice."

Conservation tillage involves leaving at least 30 percent of a crop’s residue on the surface as a protective cover for soil. Popular variations are known as "no-till, strip-till and ridge-till" farming.

Compared to conventional tillage methods, these "mulch" tillage techniques reduce soil erosion by 50 to 90 percent and pesticide movement by up to 70 percent.

Recent surveys in the state show conservation tillage is only used on 56 percent of Ohio’s nearly 10,000,000 acres of cropland.

"We have many accomplishments to be proud of, but there is still much work to do," Vance said. "We’re still losing too much soil. In 1993 alone, Ohio lost enough soil to fill more than 400,000 dump trucks. That’s enough trucks to fit six across, bumper-to-bumper, from Cincinnati to Cleveland."

Vance said no-till practices just isn’t beneficial for the environment, but it is also a time- and money-saving practice for farmers. Vance said a farmer planting 500 acres this year could save as much as 225 hours and 1,750 gallons of fuel in just one planting season by using the no-till method.

Fewer trips across the field, Vance said, means less soil compaction and savings up to $2,500 on machinery wear alone.

"I urge Ohio farmers who have not yet adopted this highly practical and soil-saving measure to contact their local soil and water conservation district for expert assistance," Vance said.

Matt Capper, the district technician for the Lawrence Soil and Water Conservation District said, that office offers no-till equipment for farmers to rent. He said the office has a no-till drill and no-till cornplanter area farmers can rent for use on their farm. He said the office offers the equipment in order to help farmers save money by renting the equipment when it’s needed instead of purchasing the tools.

Capper said anyone interested in renting the no-till equipment can call the soil and water office at 740-867-4737.

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