4. Economic advantages tillage reduction
Fuel savings (15 up to 80%)
Labor savings (up to 60%)
Decreased machinery costs
(after initial investments)
Increased supporting power
of the soil
In time nutrient
savings
6. Environmental advantages tillage reduction
CO2, N2O, CH4 emission reduction
Extra carbon storage in the soil: up to 200 kg.ha-1.y-1 C
Increased drought tolerance (1% o.s. = 150,000 liters/ha)
Better water infiltration and less erosion:
>90% at no till
>60% at non inversion tillage
Improved surface water quality through decreased
superficial emission of nutrients and pesticides
7. Creating More Competetive
Fazenda Frank’anna farm, Brazil
Alternatives and Tecnologies:
Started no tillage systemFarming
Sustainable in 1976
In Brasil
Comparison ploughing and no-till
Ploughing No-till
Yield for 1 lt of fuel 50 kg 123 kg
Yield for 1 kg of NPK 15 kg 26 kg
10. In NL non inversion tillage in specific cases
Erosion only regional
Slopes, wind
If necessary loosening the soil after a crop
No till virtually absent
Cultivation in various ways, often in combination
with a powered tool (harrow or cultivator)
15. No till and direct seeding:
Loosening the soil through:
• increased soil fauna
• rooting (cover) crops
Soil coverage for:
• erosion prevention
• weed control
• possibilities for precision spraying
17. 2009: start multiple year experiment maize
Previous: several years grassland at marine loam soil
(Lelystad, NL). Experiment in total 180 plots on 2 ha.
Start with main treatments (in 3 replicates):
Ploughing
Ploughing with a caterpillar tractor
Non inversion tillage
Ridge till
No till
Experimental strip, e.g. strip tillage
Sub treatments:
5 green manure crops in fallow
2 weed control strategies
19. Experiment objectives
Investigate practicability of reduced tillage systems as
developed in the US and Canada in Dutch conditions;
Investigate the interaction of tillage system, weed control
method and green manure crop choice;
Investigate the consequences for weed control, crop
protection and economical and environmental aspects.
31. Preliminary conclusions
More or less comparable yields if cover crop was killed
with Roundup prior to maize planting
No till / strip till resulted in yield reduction during the first years.
For organic farming non inversion tillage instead of
ploughing is possible, but:
Mechanical equipment should be adapted to cover crop residues
on the soil surface (e.g. moving harrows).
Weed management difficult at organic no till and strip till; difficult
to avoid yield losses.
Factor 2-3 more weeds left in case of non inversion tillage
compared to ploughing in the second year.
Cover crop choice influences weed pressure (less after
rye and oilseed rape).
32. Future outlook
Reduced tillage systems will
gain importance in Europe:
economic en environmental
contraints.
Optimising opportunities
needed and longer term
comparison
Yields, weeds and economics
as well as environmental
effects.
Optimal incorporation of
precision techniques
(sowing, fertilising, crop
protection)
