Adoption of Reduced Tillage and Other Conservation Practices in the Lake Erie Basin

摘要

The primary objective of this study is to identify baseline data on the degree of adoption of conservation practices, particularly reduced tillage practices, in the Lake Erie Basin. A second objective is to identify some factors which explain the adoption of reduced tillage and other conservation practices. A third objective is to identify education and technical assistance programs within the Basin. Two surveys were conducted in order to meet these objectives. The first used a mail questionnaire sent to a random sample of 5 percent of the Basin's farmers. The second survey identified education and technical assistance programs in the Basin. A complete enumeration was made by contracting county Cooperative Extension Service or Soil Conservation Service Personnel. Results show that minimum tillage is being used on 21 percent of row crop acreage. No tillage is being used on about 2 percent of the row crop acreage. Those farmers with large row crop acreages tend to have high reduced tillage adoption rates. Also, better educated farmers tend to have high reduce tillage adoption rates. Conservation practices which are used widely in the Basin include grassed waterways, winter cover crops, and crops rotations. Twenty seven country education and technical assistance programs are in progress throughout the Basin.