By LAURIE KIEFABER
Indiana Correspondent

URBANA, Ind. — To maximize crop yields and for extra protection during drought, farmers must pursue no-till and use cover crops in the off-season.

That was the advice of at least two speakers at the Wabash County Soil and Water Conservation District 66th annual meeting March 16, in Urbana.
Ray Archuleta, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) agronomist from Greensboro, N.C., and Hans Kok with the Indiana Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative both favor no-till and protecting the soil with cover crops.

Archuleta seemed quite happy to spread the word. “I’ve never been so excited about (something),” he told the crowd of about 90 farmers and soil and water conservation office staff.

“You have to step back and see how it’s all related,” he said. “(The soil) is a very complex ecosystem ... Cover crops are important (as well as no-till). You can cut your herbicides by 75 percent and fertilizer by 80 percent.”

Archuleta has learned nature is much more collaborative than competitive, as illustrated in a 2006 North Dakota study in which corn, squash and beans were planted in the same field. The corn density was 50,000 plants per hectare (about 2.5 acres). In the same field there were 40,000 bean plants and 3,330 squash.

Even with the number of other plants, the corn yield was higher, at 1,720 kilograms per hectare, than when it was  planted by itself in a field at 40,000 or 66,000 plants per hectare.

“Why this happened?” Archuleta pointed out. “Collaboration. They were sharing resources and helping each other out.”

Because of this, he said no-till is better. To demonstrate the impact of tillage on soil health, he tested several clods of dirt by suspending them in water inside a mesh basket. “The water will rush in to fill the pore spaces,” he explained. “You don’t want it to fall apart. If it does, there’s no pore space,” which he said is generally true in tilled land.

Using plain water, this test works on 99 percent of soils, he added. “Huge amounts of money (tilling) is costing you. Tillage breaks up the soil, it’s exposed to air and organic matter like plants, bacteria, fungus and earthworms can’t (work on the soil). (No-till soil) requires less fertilizer, has less weeds and is healthier.”

The USDA also encourages no-till. “Tilling the soil is the equivalent of an earthquake, hurricane, tornado, and forest fire occurring simultaneously to the world of soil organisms,” according to a USDA handout on soil health. “Simply stated, tillage is bad for the soil.”

Kok said while it may take several years, no-till will allow root systems to develop, increase the number of earthworms and improve water infiltration.
Archuleta also had a group of attendees pour water over soil samples, one which had been conventionally planted with crop rotation and the other with no-till. The first had water sitting on the top for a while, but the water soaked right into the no-till sample – the desired result.

Kok found no-till farmers lost 30 percent less in fertilizer from runoff. In addition, intensive tillage results in soil bacteria that doesn’t help much to improve soil aggregation and fast burning. It also creates a sealed soil surface, compaction issues and increased runoff.

Cover crops are another tool farmers can use to improve soil health for corn. Archuleta said organisms in the soil can work better for farmers as cover tends to hold pore spaces open. In addition, cover crops protect soil surface and help open the soil with roots.

With cover, farmers lose less soil and water and are able to use less fertilizer. “I’d rather use microorganisms than a slow-release fertilizer,” Archuleta said. “If you’re putting too much fertilizer on ... it will shut down the factory workers (microorganisms) who help during drought.”

The effect of cover crops in drought was illustrated on an Indiana farm just last year. Kok said the grower had been planting annual ryegrass for three years and using no-till. There was a drought that year, but on Aug. 1, the farmer’s corn was green while his neighbor’s was yellow.

Nitrogen also can be affected by cover crops. “Most nitrogen comes out of the field when it’s not covered,” Kok explained.

Significant cash can be saved by using no-till and cover crops. In 2007, a North Carolina corn grower planted rye (1 bushel per acre), vetch (20 pounds), radishes (4 pounds), clover (5 pounds) and used Roundup. His total costs, including planting/rolling, were $104 per acre, versus $212 with no cover crops and using 8-46-0, 30 percent nitrogen, Roundup and Atrazine and Simizine. Later, his corn grew to about 10 feet tall.

Cover crops also can improve root growth in corn, as corn roots will follow cover crop roots. Cover can include oats, wheat, cereal rye, annual ryegrass, brassicas, Sudan grass and sorghum-Sudan hybrids, buckwheat, hairy vetch, clover, peas, lentils and annual or biennial sweetclover, Kok said.

The Conservation Systems Initiative can help farmers decide when to plant cover. Several attendees liked the idea of cover crops, but were unsure if they would be using them.

“Cover crops are not taking off around me,” said Lloyd Miller of Amboy, who grows about 500 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat with his son. “But I think it’s a good thing.”

Roger Miller of North Webster also questioned whether he would be able to use cover crops this year, as he has a full-time job outside of farming 300 acres of no-till corn and soybeans. “I’ve learned there’s more need for cover crops,” he said. “I have used them some ... but having extra time in the fall” to plant would be difficult.

While no-till has been around a long time, many farmers still find it hard to make the change. “It takes education and finding the right person to tell you (what to do),” said Matt Harsh of Akron, who tries to promote no-till.
He recommends farmers start by calling their soil and water conservation office and the NRCS.

Troy Baer of Urbana, a district sales manager for Brodbeck Seeds, said he learned much about no-till at the meeting. “I’m amazed more people are not doing it, with energy prices increasing,” he said. “It makes sense to look at no-till.”

He noted many people tried no-till in the 1970s and did not have good experiences. Today equipment, tools and more knowledge are available.
“It takes a few years to see the results and advantages,” he said.