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Technical Bulletin: No-till management for sustainable and organic systems
Capture the benefits of no-till without the need for herbicides.
No-till practices were first introduced as a soil conservation tool, and to decrease labor requirements and fuel use. Numerous studies have also shown that soil is more protected from erosion and run-off in no-till systems and that no-till yields can be as good as or better than yields with conventional tillage. Plus, soil quality parameters (aggregate stability, microbial activity, earthworm populations) can increase significantly after switching from conventional tillage to no-till. Unfortunately, in conventional no-till systems, cover crops and weeds are controlled with herbicides rather than by tillage or cultivation. This increased dependence on herbicides is unsustainable, contributing to herbicide resistance in certain weeds and increased leaching of pesticides into groundwater due to higher infiltration rates. Organic farmers are also interested in reducing tillage for the same reasons no-till was originally so popular. But organic farmers are unable to use the most common no-till method to eliminate weeds or get a good kill on the cover crop—herbicides. Rodale Institute recently developed a technical bulletin with information and resources for implementing an organic no-till system; a system that allows organic farmers to capture the benefits of no-till and conventional farmers to decrease or eliminate the need for herbicides. The technical bulletin is primarily based on past project findings drawn from Rodale Institute research but also includes results from other institutions. Click here for the technical bulletin.
This publication was supported by a U.S. Department of Agriculture Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant, agreement No. LNE08-268 and by a private foundation.Keep the research on
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Details for Don
We'd love to hear more about any experimentation you or other growers are doing in New Zealand with organic no-till. Here are some answer to the questions you posed about the system:
1. How does this rolled & 'anchored' mulch compare to cut or mowed mulch?
Rolling keeps the plants more or less intact and in place, thereby reducing decomposition rates and increasing the time the mulch stays on the soil surface and works to suppress weeds. Mowing/cutting results in loose material on the surface that may get dragged along by the planter. In addition, mowing does not place the cut cover crop uniformly across the field; instead you most likely will end up with clumps in some area and bare spots in others.
2. What were seedling emergence rates like?
Once you have your equipment set up to successfully plant through the rolled cover crop mat you should have good emergence rates. For corn we usually plant at 36,000 per acre and have harvest populations of at least 30,000. For soybeans we plant at 220,000 per acre and see harvest populations of 170,000 to 180,000 per acre.
3. What plant pest issues were experienced with grazing by slugs?
Slugs have not been a problem in no-till with rolled cover crops but we did have a problem in some years in our Farming Systems Trial where we have a conventional no-till system (without cover crops). In the organic no-till system we do have occasional years with cutworm problems in corn (see the article listed above: Cutworms challenge success of organic no-till corn).
4. What if any problems were experienced with crop residues blocking or clogging the no-till seeder & no-till transplanter?
That can definitely be a problem if your planter is not set up correctly. To work through a rolled cover crop mat, standard no-till planters will probably need to be modified by adding weights to supply downward pressure and cut through the cover crop mat; and using cast iron closing wheels (instead of the standard plastic and rubber wheels) to press through the mulch and close the seed slot. In addition, coulters need to be well maintained to stay sharp and avoid hairpinning.
5. How much did soil conditions affect operation of no-till equipment?
Thanks to the cover crop buffer between the soil and the tractor tires you may be able to plant even when soil moisture levels are high. Ideally, though, to avoid compaction you should follow good farming practices and not drive on the field when it is too wet.
6. More information can be found on our web page “organic no-till revolution http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/no-till_revolution and in the following articles:
http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/20100520_Cutworms_challenge_success_of_or...
http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/node/207
http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/choosing_cover_crops
http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/getting_started_with_cover_crops
Acres USA book: Organic No-till Farming, Jeff Moyer, Acres USA 2011
Organic No-till
Awesome!!
I'd seen & heard comments re the roller being developed & trialed at Rodale. This looks this may be 'just the ticket' for a number of New Zealand & other organic growers who have felt trapped into using conventional tillage methods for weed control & seedbed preparation. However, I suspect that our relatively moderate winter growing conditions may be an issue for weed emergence. Organic production systems are inherently more variable to site conditions than herbicide use and other 'off the shelf" chemical methods.
I have a lot more questions too, including:
How does this rolled & 'anchored' mulch compare to cut or mowed mulch? What were seedling emergence rates like? What plant pest issues were experienced with grazing by slugs? What if any problems were experienced with crop residues blocking or clogging the no-till seeder & no-till transplanter? How much did soil conditions affect operation of no-till equipment?
Great article, so rare to hear excellent sustainibility options.
Thank you Rodale Institute! We really love this good work. In our gardening business, we are always utilizing the lasanga planting method for no-tilling, conscious of erosion control. It's wonderful that more research is being done; we may even feature your article in our blog soon.
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