Scoring a conservation tillage contest

Excerpt

THE idea of a conservation tillage contest had been on the minds of conservationists in Minnesota for several years as a good means of promoting and teaching good tillage practices. A method of judging such a contest, however, was lacking, despite the best attempts by a number of individuals to develop guidelines.

A unique scoring system developed by a multidisciplinary group of professionals produced the breakthrough. The group, which included extension personnel, researchers, an agronomist, an engineer, and a soil conservationist, field-tested and refined the system early in the summer of 1983. The first contest in Benton County last fall not only attracted more than 400 farmers but also proved the effectiveness of the new scoring system.

A need for know-how

The conservation district boards in Sherburne and Benton Counties were aware that many farmers in the area either owned or were interested in acquiring equipment for primary conservation tillage. They were also aware that a majority of these farmers had no prior experience with this type of equipment. Many farmers operated their equipment too shallow, too slow, or too often and were not getting proper results.

The contest was designed to make participants and onlookers aware of …