Part 1, Section 1: Soil Management

Table of Contents

TILLAGE MANAGEMENT

Status of Soil Tillage in Pennsylvania

Until 2004, the USDA-NRCS, in collaboration with other agencies, performs a crop-residue survey that is published by the Conservation Tillage Information Center (CTIC) located in Lafayette, IN. The CTIC defines various tillage systems in its survey. See Box 1.1-2.

Development of tillage systems in Pennsylvania

Conservation tillage is any tillage system that leaves more than 30 percent residue cover at planting, or more than 1,000 lbs/A of small-grain residue throughout the critical erosion period. Conservation tillage is the sum of no-tillage, ridge tillage, and mulch tillage. In Pennsylvania, the percentage of conventional tillage remained almost constant for 14 years at approximately 50 percent of planted acres (Figure 1.1-6). The area of reduced tillage has also remained constant at approximately 17 percent of planted acres. The total percentage of nonconservation tillage was 64 percent in 2004. The area of mulch tillage decreased from 19 percent in 1990 to 11 percent in 2004. The largest portion of this decrease occurred between 1998 and 2004 and seems to be a continuing downward trend for mulch tillage. The area of no-till steadily increased from 18 percent to 24 percent between 1990 and 2004. Because of time and resource constraints, USDA field personnel do not perform residue surveys since 2004. However, the National Agricultural Statistics Service included some tillage questions in its 2008 Census showing a dramatic increase in no-tillage acres in Pennsylvania (Table 1.1-4).

Table 1.1-4. Pennsylvania tillage practices by crop, 2007
Crop Total acres planted No-till¹ Other conservation tillage² Conventional till³
Acres % of total4 Acres % of total Acres % of total
Source: Adapted from USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, “Tillage practices released,” new releases, June 29, 2007
  1. No-till—a procedure whereby a crop is planted directly into a seedbed not tilled since harvest of a previous crop, or the planting of a crop into sod, previous crop stubble, or a cover where only the intermediate seed zone is disturbed.
  2. Other conservation tillage—tillage practices prior to planting that result in a minimum of 20 percent groundcover or residue being retained on the surface following planting. Grass and weed control is accomplished primarily with herbicides. Includes ridge till, strip till, and mulch till.
  3. Conventional till—systems where 100 percent of the surface is mixed or inverted by plowing, power tilling, or multiple disking.
  4. Sum of no-till, other conservation tillage, and conventional till percents of total may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.
  5. Wheat seeded the previous fall for all intended purposes, including grain, cover, silage, hay, or any other utilization.
  6. Total excludes alfalfa seedings.
  7. New alfalfa seeded or to be seeded during 2007. Alfalfa seeded acres will be available in January 2008.
Corn 1,450,000 720,000 49.7 310,000 21.4 420,000 28.0
Soybeans 440,000 280,000 63.6 70,000 15.9 90,000 20.5
Barley 60,000 24,000 40.0 19,000 31.7 17,000 28.3
Winter Wheat5 170,000 75,000 44.1 40,000 23.5 55,000 32.4
Oats 120,000 30,000 25.0 18,000 15.0 72,000 60.0
Total6 2,240,000 1,129,000 50.4 457,000 20.4 654,000 29.2
Alfalfa seedings7 0 0 21.4 0 21.4 0 57.1