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Iowa Second in Total No-Till AcresResults from a 2004 national survey show Iowa’s no-till acres up slightly over 2002. Iowa ranks second only to Illinois in total number of no-till acres. The Crop Residue Management Survey, released biennially by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) and coordinated in partnership with the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates that no-till systems were used on 5.17 million acres in Iowa in 2004, up 14,000 acres over Iowa no-till numbers from 2002. (2004 Iowa no-till map) “We are pleased the number of no-till acres in Iowa continues to increase,” said Barb Stewart, State Agronomist for Iowa’s USDA-NRCS. “Along with other conservation tillage practices, such as mulch-till and ridge-till, no-till helps reduce soil erosion on millions of acres of Iowa cropland.” Illinois led the nation with 6.7 million no-till acres, followed by Iowa, South Dakota (5.0 million acres), Indiana (4.6 million acres) and Ohio (4.4 million acres). (2004 U.S. no-till map) According to the CRM survey, 3.4 million acres or 33 percent of Iowa soybean fields were in no-till, representing an increase of about 350,000 acres or 5 percent over 2002 (2004 Iowa no-till soybeans map). Fourteen percent of Iowa cornfields, or 1.8 million acres, were in no-till, a 3 percent drop. (2004 Iowa no-till corn map) The percent of no-till use in Iowa is equal to the national percentage. Survey results show that the percentage of cropland with no-till in 2004 was about 23 percent both nationwide and in Iowa. “No-till is the most environmentally friendly production system,” says Stewart. “By leaving the crop residue and eliminating tillage trips, farmers protect the soil from water and wind erosion, conserve moisture, reduce runoff, improve soil quality, improve wildlife habitat, and limit output of labor, fuel and machinery.” Conservation tillage (2004 Iowa conservation tillage map) and no-till farming are also important eligibility issues related to the Conservation Security Program (CSP). During the 2004 CSP, many farmers in the East Nishnabotna Watershed needed to be no-till farming to meet the program’s basic eligibility requirements. For more information on CSP, go to www.ia.nrcs.usda.gov. # Contacts: Barb Stewart
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