RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Costs of conventional and conservation tillage systems
JF Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
FD Soil and Water Conservation Society
SP 328
OP 334
VO 47
IS 4
A1 Alfons Weersink
A1 Michael Walker
A1 Clarence Swanton
A1 James E. Shaw
YR 1992
UL http://www.jswconline.org/content/47/4/328.abstract
AB The costs of three conservation tillage systems—chisel plow, ridge-till, and no-till—were compared to a conventional moldboard plow system for hypothetical corn-soybean farms in southern Ontario, differentiated by farm size and soil type. Total farm costs per hectare were higher in all farm scenarios for the moldboard plow and chisel plow tillage systems compared to no-till and ridge-till systems because of their larger machinery complement. Variable costs per hectare for the no-till and ridge-till systems were higher than for the fall tillage systems for each farm scenario. This was due largely to the pre-emergent herbicide treatment costs, which were higher for the two reduced tillage systems. The reductions in labor associated with the reduced tillage systems indicated that labor costs could be reduced up to 61% annually compared with a moldboard plow system.