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More farmers converting to no-tillIncentive payments offered to producers in Shell Creek Watershed encourage no-till farming Nebraska Platte County farmer Ed Luetkenhaus has been spending a lot more time on his small tractor than his large field tractor, and that's been just fine with him. With the ever rising price of diesel fuel he's happy to leave his big tractor parked, which he has been able to do since switching to no-till farming. "I now use my little tractor more than my big tractor just doing yard work. After I get the fields planted the big tractor just sits," Luetkenhaus said. Luetkenhaus first started using no-till in 2005 when he signed up for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program through the Natural Resources Conservation Service. At that time EQIP provided an incentive payment of $10 an acre for up to 160 acres to be planted using no-till. Under his 2005 EQIP agreement he agreed to farm 160 acres using no-till for five years. But after giving it a try, Luetkenhaus decided to convert all of his acres to no-till. "The benefits of no-till were obvious from the beginning. I could time my plantings better. I saved fuel and irrigation water. Plus, I never had a drop in yield. But I think the biggest benefit to me was the time I saved. Now I actually have time to go golfing," Luetkenhaus said with a grin. According to NRCS No-till Specialist Dan Gillespie no-till farming can save a significant amount of time and fuel. It also conserves water and greatly reduces erosion. "On a 160 acre field it will cost an average of $4,177 for fuel and 22 hours to prepare the seedbed using a three-pass conventional tillage system. On that same 160 acres it would only cost an average of $1,100 for fuel and take just 1.8 hours to prepare a seedbed using no-till. That's not even taking into account the other benefits of no-till like improved soil quality, infiltration rates, organic matter, and reduced soil erosion," Gillespie said. Gillespie and UNL Extension Engineer Paul Jas. have traveled across Nebraska explaining the benefits of no-till to producers at field events and expos. One of their stops this summer included Ed Luetkenhaus' farm. About 20 producers gathered in Luetkenhaus' shop to watch Gillespie and Jasa operate a rainfall simulator. Five plots of soil were placed on a table top. Each plot contained the same amount and type of soil. The only difference was the amount of tillage each plot of soil had received and the amount of residue cover. An overhead sprinkler simulated rainfall. Jars placed below the trays of soil collected the runoff from each plot. The jar collecting water from the no-till plot contained the least amount of water and the least amount of sediment. The jar that collected water from the conventionally tilled plot had the most runoff, and the water in the jar was dark brown from the soil that had been washed away. As the farmers watched the runoff accumulate in the jars they made comments to each other or shook their heads as they saw the amount of soil loss from a conventional tilled filed compared to no-till. Gillespie wants the farmers to see for themselves the dramatic results of the demonstration. "The rainfall simulator provides a great way to show what happens to soil during a rainfall. It's hard to deny that no-till works in keeping soil on the field and helps water infiltrate the soil," Gillespie said. Luetkenhaus' farm is located just west of Lindsey, Neb., in the Shell Creek watershed. In the late 1990s a group of local farmers formed the Shell Creek Watershed Improvement Group to address water quality issues in the area. Farmers were concerned about the high rate of erosion they were seeing and the effect this was having on the entire watershed. The SCWIG began working with NRCS and the Lower Platte North Natural Resources District to educate local producers and promote conservation practices that would help improve the condition of the watershed. One of the practices advocated by the SCWIG is no-till. To help increase the number of acres being planted using no-till the SCWIG partnered with NRCS. Through NRCS' Environmental Quality Incentive Program farmers are offered incentive payments to producers who begin planting their crops using no-till. Since the time Luetkenhaus signed up to start using no-till through EQIP the incentive payment to make the switch has grown. Now instead of just the incentive payment from EQIP the SCWIG provides additional incentive payments with funds from the Nebraska Environmental Trust and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. These incentives include payments to use non-invasive nitrogen application, practice nutrient management and hire a crop consultant. All of these incentives now add up to over $50/acre. The acre-limit has also grown from 160 acres to 320 acres. These changes have helped more farmers make the transition to no-till, according to Shell Creek Coordinator Eric Smith. "We are definitely seeing the acres of no-till in an upward trend throughout the watershed, so the incentives offered through EQIP are helping farmers make the switch," Smith said. According to Gillespie, the Shell Creek Watershed Improvement Group is one of the most progressive no-till promoting groups in the Nebraska. "Shell Creek Watershed Improvement Group has the most comprehensive assistance for no-till transition in the state. These guys are serious about improving the quality of this watershed," Gillespie said. For more information about the Shell Creek Watershed Improvement Group or EQIP contact Eric Smith at the Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Columbus, Neb., at 402-564-0506 ext. 3 or eric.smith@ne.usda.gov. 8/25/08 Date: 8/20/08
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