Feasibility of No‐Tillage and Ridge Tillage Systems in the Northeastern USA

Abstract

Rolling, potential erodible cropland predominates the Northeast dairy region so corn ( Zea mays L.) acreage under no‐tillage (NT) or ridge tillage (RT) may increase. Farmer‐operated studies were conducted on well‐drained, moderately well‐drained, somewhat poorly drained, and poorly drained sites in 1986, 1987, and 1988 to evaluate the competitiveness of NT and RT corn systems relative to conventional or moldboard plow (MP) corn systems. Compared with MP, NT had lower plant populations in seven and lower grain yields in five of the 12 site‐year comparisons. Compared with MP, RT had lower plant populations in five and lower grain yields in two of the comparisons. In the 10 other comparisons, RT had higher (twice) or similar grain yields. Averaged across sites and years, MP compared with NT and RT had higher equipment costs ($26.25, $20.46, and $22.75/acre, respectively) and labor costs ($21.21, $16.26, and $18.33/acre, respectively). Higher herbicide and grain‐drying costs for NT in most site‐year comparisons offset lower equipment and labor costs, which resulted in higher variable production costs for NT compared with MP at two sites. Variable production costs of RT were the same or lower than MP. The break‐even price indicated that NT was economically competitive with MP at the well‐drained ($1.58 and $1.55/bu, respectively) and poorly drained sites ($2.08 and $2.16/bu, respectively). In contrast, RT was economically competitive at all sites. Although RT is economically competitive with MP in a 3‐yr corn rotation, RT is not easily adapted to the corn‐sod rotation in the Northeast.