To Till or Not to Till? Find your fit for #Plant25
One of the most important parts of any conservation or farming operation is establishing goals to work toward. It is easy to do the same thing year after year because of limited time or finances. What can we do with the resources we have to improve our situation?
Ashland SWCD Soil Conservation Specialist Brennen Hart with our 10-ft John Deere no-till rental drill
No-till has been a long-standing practice in Ashland County, and we continue to support that by offering a variety of equipment options to our community. When it comes to till vs. no-till, there is a significant amount of give and take in any situation.
Tillage can help prevent some of the unwanted pathogens and insects that can breed in crop residue on a no till field. In some instances we also find erosion issues when a hillside field undergoes a no-till practice and is left barren without crop residue at the end of the season to protect the soil from surface runoff. Additionally, it has been believed that by working in crop residue and oxygen in with the soil can cause quick decomposition of the organic residue, which simulates microbes and readily releases nutrients into the crops.
On the other hand, the over tillage of soil and working it down to a powder can cause massive erosion issues when a mild wind or significant rain comes through. Over tillage can dry out the soil and cause poor soil structure and soil productivity while a no-till application can build up soil structure and and allow air pockets to form throughout the soil so oxygen can aid in the breakdown
No-till planting can allow more water can be retained in the soil after a rainfall. By reducing the amount of tillage done, a significant amount of fuel and labor can be saved when one is not making several passes over a field with a disc and a field cultivator decreasing input costs during the growing season.
No-till becomes even more effective when a cover crop is implemented during the winter months. The presence of cover crops not only provides protection to the soil from heavy surface runoff, they also allow the soil to absorb more rain water because the cover crop helps to wick it up.
A good cover crop in a no-till field also aids in fighting erosion by using its root systems to hold the soil together similar to how tree roots help hold together a stream bank. Cover crop also aids soil health by transferring macronutrients such as nitrogen, sulfur, and potassium into the soil for plant use. Ultimately, we encourage our community to discover what conservation practices work best for their application.
Every situation has a unique set of challenges and it is our goal at the Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District is to provide assistance to help our community conquer those obstacles.
We offer a variety of equipment such as a 10ft John Deere no till drill, a 12ft Esch no-till drill. Both drills can be rented for $18/acre with an up charge of $20/day for use of more than two consecutive days. The John Deere 10ft drill has a minimum rental charge of $150 while, and the Esch drill has a minimum rental charge of $300.
Both drills feature depth adjustments for each individual row as well as grass seed boxes up front for your smaller seeds that plant at shallow depths. The 10ft John Deere drill also presents the ability to adjust down pressure on the rows, which becomes handy when no-tilling into corn fodder and bean stubble.
For more information on our equipment rental program, to have SWCD staff conduct an on-farm assessment of your operation, or to learn more about no-till management options, call Ashland SWCD at 419-281-7645 or visit www.ashlandswcd.com
