Illinois Ag Connection - Biennial Transect Survey Reflects Farmer Adaptation to Change

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Biennial Transect Survey Reflects Farmer Adaptation to Change
Illinois Ag Connection - 09/19/2017

The Illinois biennial Soil Erosion and Cropland Tillage Transect Survey was completed this past spring and summer by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, in cooperation once again with Illinois' 97 Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Data shows the trend toward more crop tillage continued in 2017, while increased farmer interest in, and adoption of cover crops shows promise as an additional conservation management tool on Illinois farms.

Illinois farmers cite many reasons for increases in tillage over the past few years; among those is control of herbicide resistant weeds, early planting and harvest dates, and weather. Other possible factors include lower commodity prices, land values, reduced access to technical assistance, and reductions in funding for conservation practice installation.

"There are many complex factors that play into the decision-making process farmers go through each year. Sometimes change is gradual and can be planned for, but sometimes it happens very quickly. Illinois farmers have historically been leaders in innovation and adaptation to change", according to Raymond Poe, Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. "There have arguably been more challenges and changes in agriculture during the past decade than any other time in our history. That can impact conservation management decisions as well."

Weather changes in 2017 have run the gamut, from drought conditions to flooding in different parts of the state. Illinois saw an increase in re-planted acres of both corn and soybeans. The Transect Survey is conducted shortly after crops are planted in the spring and have emerged. Re-planted acres required additional tillage to prepare the soil, reducing the amount of visible residue on those acres when the Survey was conducted.

Herbicide-resistant weeds, such as water hemp, create new challenges for farmers that necessitate change. Without the commonly used herbicides in their arsenal to control weeds, farmers are forced to switch to more expensive combinations of herbicides, try to control the weeds with additional tillage, or adopt new management tools, such as the use of cover crops.

One bright spot beginning to emerge in the crop management regime for farmers across the Midwest is to use cover crops.

"Cover crops are becoming increasingly attractive to farmers as a way to control resistant weeds in corn and soybean fields. They have the added benefit of reducing soil erosion and recycling nutrients in the soil that may otherwise be lost. Cover crops used in combination with other weed control methods can overcome some of the issues associated with herbicide-resistant weeds farmers encounter," says Poe.

The 2017 Transect Survey results show that the percentage of cropland below "T", the tolerable soil level loss, or the amount of soil that can be replaced naturally by the decomposition of crop residue, has slipped from 80.4% in 2015 to 79.2% in 2017. There was a 0.9% increase in no-till corn surveyed as compared to 2015, while mulch-till was down 5.5% and reduced-till corn was up 1.4%. The level of conventional tillage rose 3.2%. There was a slight decrease in no-till soybeans, down 1.4% from the previous survey. Mulch-till and reduced-till soybeans show a mixed bag as farmers adjusted their tillage systems slightly toward more tillage on the acres surveyed. The extent of conventional tillage for soybeans increased as compared to 2015.

For more information, the Transect Surveys can be found at http://bit.ly/2yaHOJE.

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