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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 28, 2009
IDOA study finds Illinois farmers are switching from conventional tillage methods to practices that preserve soil and protect the environment SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - A new study from the Illinois Department of Agriculture indicates the state's farmers increasingly are using tillage practices that protect the environment. According to the 2009 Illinois Soil Erosion and Crop Tillage Transect Survey, nearly half (49.9 percent) of the state's cropland was farmed with a conservation tillage system this year, the highest percentage since the department began tracking use of crop tillage systems in 1994. "Conservation tillage is good for the environment because it prevents soil erosion and improves water quality," Agriculture Director Tom Jennings said. "It also is good for farmers because it preserves fertile farmland and ensures our agricultural production is sustainable for generations to come." In the 16 years since the first survey, the utilization of conservation tillage practices, or production methods that leave at least 30 percent of the prior year's crop residue on the ground after planting, has increased from 32 percent to 49 percent of farm fields. During the same span, there has been a corresponding decrease in the use of conventional tillage methods that leave little residue on the soil surface. In addition, 85 percent of farmland was below "T," which is the amount of soil that be replaced naturally by the decomposition of crop residue. No-till farming still is the conservation practice of choice among Illinois farmers, primarily due to the large amount of soybeans planted by no-till. However, the survey found a significant increase this year in the use of mulch-till systems. "The number of no-till acres actually declined, probably because this spring was so wet," Land and Water Resources Specialist Alan Gulso said. "In an attempt to dry-out their saturated fields and get a crop planted, conservation-minded farmers decided they had to till some of their land and opted to switch to mulch-till, which is a minimal tillage system." The period from April through July this year is the ninth wettest on record. Precipitation, those four months totaled 20.94 inches, or 4.74 inches above average. The Soil Erosion and Crop Tillage Transect Survey was completed with assistance from Illinois' 98 soil and water conservation districts and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Data was collected last spring and summer from more than 50,000 fields across the state. A summary of the results follows:
TILLAGE SYSTEMS:
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