Agriculture Uncovered: No-till Organic Grain Production

Agriculture is a major industry in the Chesapeake Bay; consequently, increasing agricultural sustainability is a key component of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s mission. Since the Alliance’s founding in 1971 , our work with farmers and rural landowners has expanded to include projects in every watershed state with teams based in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. In industry, the Alliance works to introduce relevant conservation practices that reduce pollution while making farmers’ jobs easier. All of this critical work is informed by the immense geographic, cultural, and historical diversity of the Chesapeake Watershed.

Organic agriculture refers to agricultural products that are grown and processed following a set of guidelines from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) that prohibit the use of synthetic fertilizer and pesticides for at least three years before harvest. Organic producers use natural fertilizers and herbicides, mechanical operations, and biological methods to address elements like soil fertility, weed control, and pest management.

One mechanical farming method is tillage–any mechanical manipulation of the soil. The practice is used to prepare soil for seeding, control weeds, incorporate fertilizer, reduce compaction, and more. Tillage is a particularly common tool in organic grain production because of its uses in weed control. One impact of tillage, however, is that it breaks up the soil structure. Measurable soil structure formation happens, ideally, within two to three decades, and soil’s structure is what holds it together and reduces erosion from wind or rain.

Certified organic products, though, receive an organic premium to cover the higher production costs. An ERS study of 18 price premiums from 2004 to 2010 found the premium to be more than 20%.

No/Reduced Tillage

No-till wheat. Photo: croptracker.com

An organic grain production system that does not include tillage is called a no-till system. Crops are seeded without any tillage to prepare the seedbed. Additionally, there is no mechanical weed control after seeding, which often occurs in a full tillage system.

A system that includes occasional or shallow tillage is called a reduced-till system. Grain production systems typically have rotations of different crops ranging from 2 to 10+ years, depending on the farm. By only tilling before certain crops, tillage is reduced across the crop rotation. Common methods of tillage before planting can go as deep as 14 inches below the soil surface. Reducing the depth of that tillage to 4 of 6 inches below the soil surface is another form of reduced tillage.

Equipment

No-till drill. Photo: ackermansequipment.com

To plant crops in a no-till system, producers use specialized no-till equipment. Typically, a grain drill needs the seedbed to be prepared with tillage. The drill then places seeds at the right depth, depending on the crop. This equipment works best in soft and residue-free soil, meaning it would not work in a no-till system because the past crop’s residue and more compact soil would be too hard to get through. Therefore, a no-till drill has special cutting discs that cut through residue and soil to the required planting depth.

Roller crimper. Photo: no-tillfarmer.com

Another piece of equipment used in an organic no-till system is the roller crimper. As described above, weeds are a problem grain producers face. In a conventional system, herbicides are used to address this. In an organic system, there are a few alternatives, including the use of cover crops. Cover crops are planted after a harvested cash crop and provide many benefits, including weed control.

This is where the roller crimper comes into play. Many no-till organic farmers would like to use cover crops for weed control, but cannot use herbicides or tillage to terminate the cover crop when it comes time to plant their harvested crop. The roller crimper works like a construction roller, the heavy cylinder rolls over the living cover crop, laying it down on the soil surface. The roller crimper also has sharp ridges to “crimp” the cover crop. The end result is a layer of dead plant residue that adds organic material to the soil and ground cover to smother weeds. The no-till drill then cuts through that solid layer of residue and undisturbed soil to plant the crop.

The Alliance has a program for producers in Lancaster County called the Soil Health Equipment and Advising Program that helps producers with no-till practices. This program can provide producers with equipment, like a no-till drill, and technical assistance from experts.

The Benefits of No/reduced Tillage

Soybeans Planted into Roller Crimped Rye. Photo: ipcm.wisc.edu

Organic practices prioritize soil fertility, structure, and biodiversity while reducing the use of pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers. These practices reduce agricultural pollution that ends up in the streams, rivers, and other water bodies.

Given the benefits of organic agriculture, when it is combined with no or reduced-till systems, producers can increase their benefits. No and reduced tillage allows soil structure to remain more intact, making soil less susceptible to erosion. Not disturbing the soil also helps the water infiltration, water-holding capacity, and microbial communities of the soil. Additionally, without having to prepare fields before planting, the producers save on both fuel and time.

At the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, our work is focused on improving water quality all across the watershed. A major source of nutrients and sediments ending up in the Chesapeake Bay are from farm nutrient runoff and soil loss into the streams and rivers. Reducing nutrient runoff by eliminating synthetic fertilizers on organic farms and agricultural erosion from no and reduced tillage, the Bay benefits.

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