« Back
CRD
HUC8
|
Automated Use of Remote Sensing Data to Monitor Conservation Practices
The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), a Regrow technology (https://www.regrow.ag), uses remote sensing (satellite-based) data to monitor conservation practices in agricultural systems, including various forms of reduced tillage and the planting of winter cover crops. While the OpTIS calculations are performed and validated at the farm-field scale, the privacy of individual producers is fully protected by d ... more. |
View OpTIS data results using the Tableau functions below. You can view results from either CRD or HUC8 boundaries by selecting the corresponding tabs below.
NOTE: If tables do not load properly please refresh the page.
CRD
HUC8
var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1694962383320'); var vizElement = divElement.getElements ... more. |
Automated Use of Remote Sensing Data to Monitor Conservation Practices
The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), a Regrow technology (https://www.regrow.ag), uses remote sensing (satellite-based) data to monitor conservation practices in agricultural systems, including various forms of reduced tillage and the planting of winter cover crops. While the OpTIS calculations are performed and validated at the farm-field scale, the privacy of individual producers is fully protected by d ... more. |
var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1695665741933'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object')[0]; if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 800 ) { vizElement.style.minWidth='1366px';vizEle ... more. |
var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1694962383320'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object')[0]; if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 800 ) { vizElement.style.minWidth='1366px';vizElement.style.maxWidth='100%';vizElement.style.minHeight='818px';vizElement.style.maxHeight=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px';} else if ( divElem ... more. |
CRD
HUC8
var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1609955380782'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object')[0]; if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 800 ) { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px';} else if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 500 ) { vizElement.style. ... more. |
Automated Use of Remote Sensing Data to Monitor Conservation Practices
The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) has been developed by Applied GeoSolutions (AGS) and the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) as a method for the automated use of remote sensing (satellite-based) data to monitor conservation practices in agricultural systems, including various forms of reduced tillage and the planting of winter cover crops. While the OpTIS calculations are performed and v ... more. |
Automated Use of Remote Sensing Data to Monitor Conservation Practices
The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) has been developed by Applied GeoSolutions (AGS) and the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) as a method for the automated use of remote sensing (satellite-based) data to monitor conservation practices in agricultural systems, including various forms of reduced tillage and the planting of winter cover crops. While the OpTIS calculations are performed and v ... more. |
We designed this study to demonstrate differences in nitrogen rates and yields under the same nitrogen product, where the producer planted corn for two consecutive growing seasons.
We conducted this trial to:
demonstrate strip till application of anhydrous ammonia, a proven conservation practice.
demonstrate how the farmer can conduct his own on-farm NUE using field-scale equipment with minima ... more. |
CTIC Projects « Connecting People « Indian Creek Watershed Project « Strip Tillage Fall Nitrogen Application
|
The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) has been developed by Applied GeoSolutions (AGS) and the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) as a method for the automated use of remote sensing (satellite-based) data to monitor conservation practices in agricultural systems, including various forms of reduced tillage and the planting of winter cover crops. While the OpTIS calculations are performed and v ... more. |
This study evaluated how winter cover crops with various applied nitrogen rates affect net revenue and risk from no-tillage corn production.
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;Calibri" ,"sans-serif";times="" new="" roman";times="" roman";"="">Stochastic dominance analysis of winter cover crop and nitrogen fertilizer systems for no-tillage corn.
|
... through 1995 were used to estimate corn yield response functions for hairy vetch, crimson clover, winter wheat, and no cover alternatives.
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;Calibri" ,"sans-serif";times="" new="" roman";times="" roman";"="">Economic analysis of the effects of winter cover crops on no-tillage corn yield response to applied nitrogen.
|
Agricultural conservation systems produce good yields and strong profits while responsibly managing environmental resources. These systems efficiently manage nutrients and pests, control irrigation and drainage water flows, use cover crops, rotate crops to maximize conservation benefits and
minimize equipment wear. See CTIC's conservation systems information sheet HERE.
... more. |
This project, funded by EPA's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, will demonstrate the effectiveness of cover crops and conservation tillage systems to decrease agricultural nonpoint source pollution and inform producers about the economic benefits of the systems. CTIC and partners will assist agricultural producers in the Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Huron watersheds with implementation of cover crops and conservation tillage systems on 15,000 acres by April 2013. Producers will receive technical, educational and social support ... more. |
We designed this study to demonstrate differences in nitrogen rates and yields under the same nitrogen product, where the producer planted corn for two consecutive growing seasons.
We conducted this trial to:
demonstrate strip till application of anhydrous ammonia, a proven conservation practice
demonstrate how the farmer can conduct his own on-farm NUE&nbs ... more. |
We designed this study to demonstrate differences in nitrogen rates and yields under different application times of the same nitrogen product, in an area where the producer planted corn for two consecutive growing seasons.
We conducted this trial to:
demonstrate strip till application of anhydrous ammonia, a proven conservation practice
demonstrate ... more. |
A Review of BMPs for Managing Crop Nutrients and Conservation Tillage to Improve Water Quality
This publication will review research on nutrient management BMPs for the two nutrients of major concern, Nitrogen and Phosphorus, with an emphasis on integrating BMPs with conservation tillage.
|
Conservation Tillage and Plant Biotechnology: How New Technologies Can Improve the Environment By Reducing the Need to Plow
Introduces and outlines environmental benefits of conservation tillage, while highlighting trends that like biotechnology with conservation tillage.
|
... primary hypothesis is that the way in which information is presented will significantly affect farmers’ interest in and eventual adoption of offset-eligible practices. In many cases,it isbelieved thatthis framing effect will be as strong as or stronger than the effect of a modest offset payment.
The information presented promotes conservation tillage with an environmental stewardship frame versus a neutral, control frame, and discussing the potential for offset payments for conservation tillage or not. As noted, we intend to determine if the framed treatments will generate greater interest in conservation tillage than unframed treatments, including unframed treatments that mention potential offset opportunities.
Partner
Purdue Univers ... more. |
... the following CTIC resources in the Free Download section of CTIC’s Online Store.
Better Soil, Better Yields is a guidebook to improving soil organic matter and infiltration with continuous no-till.
Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology explores environmental benefits of conservation tillage, facilitated significantly by biotechnology crops.
A Review of BMPs for Managing Crop Nutrients and Conservation Tillage to Improve Water Quality reviews research on nutrient best management practices (BMPs) for nitrogen and phosphorus, with emphasis on integrating BMPs with conservation tillage.
CTIC leads initiatives to promote and encourage adoption of conservation systems ... more. |
Cover Crops and Conservation Tillage Reduce NPS Pollution
Project Description
|
Biotech crops have reduced the risks and challenges of switching to conservation tillage or no-till practices. Since glyphosate-tolerant crops were introduced in 1996, acreage of no-till full-season soybeans in the U.S. has increased by nearly 70%.
Click here to see the data.
|
... quantities of residue and may include the use of cover crops after low residue producing crops. CRM includes all field operations that affect residue amounts, orientation and distribution throughout the period requiring protection. Site-specific residue cover amounts needed are usually expressed in percentage but may also be in pounds. CRM is an “umbrella” term encompassing several tillage systems including no-till, ridge-till, mulch-till, and reduced-till.
Conservation Tillage Types (30 percent or more crop residue left, after planting).
Any tillage and planting system that covers 30 percent or more of the soil surface with crop residue, after planting, to reduce soil erosion by water. Where soil erosion by wind is the primary concern, any system that maintains at least 1, ... more. |
Instructions
Click on image to view full size version. To download image when viewing full-size, click your right mouse button on the graphic and choose the "save image" option. All images are 300 dpi resolution minimum. Please feel free to use these photos and graphics for publication. Mention of source is appreciated.
Close look at old corn stalks left standing from past ha ... more. |
Conservation Tillage Types - over 30% cover after planting..more
|
Conservation tillage systems offer numerous benefits that intensive or conventional tillage simply can’t match:
1. Reduces labor, saves time
As little as one trip for planting compared to two or more tillage operations means fewer hours on a tractor and fewer labor hours to pay ... or more acres to farm. For instance, on 500 acres the time savings can be as much as 225 hours per year. That ... more. |
Conservation Tillage Facts
What is it?
It is a system of crop production with little, if any, tillage. It increases the residue from the crop that remains
in the field after harvest through planting. This results in increased natural recycling of crop residues.
Used on 38% (109 million acres) of all U.S. cropland (293 million planted acres).
Goal is 50% (146 million acres) of the pla ... more. |
Conservation Tillage Systems and Management Handbook
The 29 chapters not only cover a broad range of topics, but the authors represent all regions of the United States. The right book for those with a basic understanding of conservation tillage who want to expand their technical knowledge.
|
No Tillage: The relationship between no tillage, crop residues, plants and soil nutrition
In his second book on no-till farming, Chilean farmer Carlos Crovetto has delved into the inner workings of the soil and meticulously explained the relationship between no-till, crop residues, soil nutrition and crop production.
|
No Tillage: The relationship between no tillage, crop residues, plants and soil nutrition
Expands the breadth and depth of knowledge of the no-till system offers new ideas to those who are ready to move into the next level of conservation tillage systems. To order online, click here.
|
Georgia Conservation Tillage Alliance
The mission of the Georgia Conservation Tillage Alliance is to promote the adoption of conservation tillage and other economically viable and environmentally sound agricultural and natural resource management practices through research, education, and communication.
Contact Information
www.gcta-ga.org
|
Established 1998
The purpose of the Conservation Tillage Workgroup is to 1) develop knowledge and exchange information on conservation tillage production systems, 2) coordinate related research and extension programs, 3) respond to needs for information on reduced tillage production alternatives, and 4) plan and conduct statewide and regional conferences, workshops and training demonstrations as well as produce UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Re ... more. |
Established 1994
Reduced Tillage LINKAGES (RTL) is an extension organization that focuses on increasing the adoption of sustainable production systems, based on reduced tillage, by Alberta farmers and ranchers. The program is a partnership with broad-based farmer, industry, educational, wildlife, and government support and employs five agronomists.
Mission, Goals and Contact Information
Mission Statement:
To be the l ... more. |
CTIC has partnered with Regrowand The Nature Conservancy on the development, testing and application of the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), an automated system to map tillage, residue cover, winter cover, and soil health practices using remote sensing data. While OpTIS calculations are performed at the farm-field scale using publicly available data, the privacy of individual producers is fully protected by reporting only spatially-aggregated results at regional and watershed scales.
OpTIS-based data are ... more. |
Adoption of Conservation Agricultural Practices
Data are available for the adoption of cover crops and conservation tillage. Remote-sensing derived, CONUS-wide cropland data for the adoption of two important conservation practices (cover crops and reduced tillage).
Data are currently available for the years 2015-2021. All data are available at the watershed (HUC8) and Crop Reporting District (CRD) geographic scales.
Explore the Conservation Ag Data Applications
Cover Crop
The extent of cove ... more. |
... Rundquist (Regrow Ag)
Dave Gustafson (Conservation Technology Information Center)
Hosted by The Nature Conservancy
OpTIS 2.0:
New Data, Regions,
& Insights
June 16, 2021
Description: The Nature Conservancy, the Conservation Technology Information Center, and Regrow Agriculture share the latest expansion of the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) data. Guest speakers include: Linda Prokopy, Ph.D., Purdue University; Margaret Jodlowski, Ph.D., Ohio State University; and Ian Crawford, Sustainability Manager, Simplot Agribusiness.
OpTIS and DNDC:
Mining Diamonds from
Soil Carbon Data
October 16, 2020
Description: View the hour-long webinar recording from Oct. 16, 2020. This is the second webinar ... more. |
... (methane, as well as indirect and direct nitrous oxide) are based on the use of the practice-adoption data as input to the DNDC model. Data are currently available for the years 2015-2021.
The Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) model was used to simulate carbon and nitrogen soil dynamics as a function of the soil health management practices monitored by OpTIS (crop diversity, conservation tillage, and cover crops). As with previous releases, all data are undergoing various forms of peer review and may be updated in the future. If you see a region that is "grayed-out," that means there were insufficient data available for the DNDC model to be run.
Explore the Cropland DNDC Modeling Results
Cropland DNDC Modeling
Data are available for soil carbon changes ... more. |
Introduction
CTIC has partnered since 2010with Regrow and The Nature Conservancy on the development, testing and application of the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), an automated system to map tillage, residue cover, winter cover, and soil health practices using remote sensing data. The latest version of the OpTIS data are available below for Croplands. With this latest update (April 2024), the partners are now also releasing analogous data for Grasslands. All pages include charts and maps to further enhance identification of trend ... more. |
CTIC is a clearinghouse for a wide range of information on conservation agriculture. Click on one of the themes below to browse our site, or look for a particular practice or place in the search bar.
Ag Consultant Resources
Bees and Pollinators
Buffer Strips
Community Organizing
Conservation Tillage
Conservation Practices—Adoption
Crop Residue Management (CRM) Survey
Drainage Water Management
Cover Crops
Cover Crop Survey
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
Demonstration Projects
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Grazing and Rangeland
Hypoxia
Know Your Watershed
Leadership
Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI)
No-Till
National Aquatic Resour ... more. |
Remote-sensing derived, CONUS-wide cropland data for the adoption of two important conservation practices (cover crops and reduced tillage), as well as soil and GHG outcomes based on the use of these practice-adoption data as input to the DNDC model.
Data are currently available for the years 2015-2021. All data are available at the watershed (HUC8) and Crop Reporting District (CRD) geographic scales.
|
Explore The Data
Croplands
Remote sensing-derived, CONUS-wide cropland data for mapping tillage, residue cover, winter cover, and soil health practices. Data are currently available for the years 2015 through 2021.
The available data include the level of adoption of cover crops and conservation tillage practices, as well as soil and GHG outcomes based on the use of this practice-adoption data as input to the DNDC model. Access to these conservation practice data by crop rotation is avail ... more. |
Adoption of Climate-Smart Ag Practices
|
DNDC: The Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) model was used to simulate carbon and nitrogen soil dynamics as a function of the soil health management practices monitored by OpTIS (crop diversity, conservation tillage, and cover crops).
DNDC performs process-based simulations of nitrogen and carbon dynamics in agroecosystems. Based on environmental drivers (inputs like soil characteristics, temperature and precipitation data, crop characteristics, and crop management) the model predicts crop growth and yield, soil organic carbon (SOC) changes (loss vs. sequestration) andgreenhouse gas emissi ... more. |
... on the adoption of conservation practices across the U.S. Though federal support of the popular crop residue management transect survey ended in 2004, scientists, policy makers and marketers have continued to tap CTIC's databases. Now, we're at the forefront of using remote sensing to bring back state, regional and national data on crop residue and cover crop management.
Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS)
The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) has been developed by Regrow, TNC, and CTIC as a method for the automated use of remote sensing (satellite-based) data to monitor conservation practices in agricultural systems, including various forms of reduced tillage and the planting of winter cover crops.
Crop Residue Management Survey Data
Since 1982, CTI ... more. |
... in 2021, CTIC and TNC have been in conversation with a number of other organizations interested in partnering on the creation of the Conservation Validation Network (CVN), which we envision as a valuable set of anonymized ground-truthing data available to support advances in remote sensing methodologies being used to track adoption of regenerative conservation practices like reduced tillage and winter cover crops.
With seed funding made available by TNC Indiana and Corteva, CTIC led a CVN Indiana Pilot. Phase I of the Pilot had three deliverables, the first of which was to host the CVN Kickoff Workshop (hybrid in-person/virtual) on Wednesday, August 25, 2021at the Purdue Research Park, next door to our West Lafayette headquarters. Approximately 40 individuals participated, ... more. |
... sustainability goals.
Hall of Fame
Frank Lessiter has served as editor of No-Till Farmer for 51 years, since the publication was launched in 1972. He and wife, Pam, acquired No-Till Farmer and established Lessiter Media in Brookfield, Wis., to acquire the magazine in 1981. Today, the 40-person company also publishes Strip-Till Farmer and Cover Crop Strategies and has run the National No-Tillage Conference since 1993.
The Conservation in Action tour is a homecoming for Lessiter, who was raised on a 6-generation Michigan Centennial Farm in Lake Orion, Mich., which he and his son Mike visited the week of the award ceremony. Lessiter is a dairy science graduate from Michigan State University.
Lessiter's contributions to conservation ag’s adoption are profound. He and his pub ... more. |
FREE WEBINAR ON USING SATELLITE DATA TO MODEL WATER QUALITY, APRIL 26 NOON EDT
A free webinar on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 12:00 pm EDT will feature key insights from researchers using data from the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) to help model water quality. Register here for the webinar and question-and-answer session with the panel.
Speakers during the live, hour-long "OpTIS 3.0: Unlocking Water Quality Insights" program will include:
Dr. Asmita Murumkar, The Ohio State University, using OpTIS data on tillage and cover crops in their modeling work in Ohio's Upp ... more. |
... CTIC (north@ctic.org; (317) 450-9137) or
Steve Werblow (steve@stevewerblow.com; (541) 951-4212)
NEW OpTIS DATA FROM SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOW 2.5x RISE IN CORN BELT COVER CROPS
Corn Belt cover crop acres climbed from 2.8 million to 7.5 million between 2015 and 2021
WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana (February 2, 2023)—A new tranche of data from the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) tracked a 250% climb in cover crop acreage—from 2.8 million acres in 2015 to 7.5 million acres in 2021—led by row crop farmers in the southern portion of the region. The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), which hosts free access to OpTIS data on its ctic.org website, dubbed this week's release "OpTIS 3.0."
"The ... more. |
... State University; and conservationists from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission for a deep dive into how crop consultants can help their clients benefit from conservation practices.
Discussions ranged from the agronomic and water-management benefits of conservation systems—including precision irrigation, tailwater management, reduced tillage and cover crops, among others—to cost-share programs that can have direct benefits to farmers' bottom lines.
We also visited the Dabbs Farm outside of Stuttgart for a close-up look at the family's reservoir and tailwater management system and the Arkansas Discovery Farm's water quality monitoring program.
Click here for full video coverage of each of the presentations in t ... more. |
... Drive and Inform Climate-Smart Livestock and Dairy Agriculture at Scale." Greg Thoma of Colorado State University, Matthew Jones and John Shriver of Regrow Ag, and Kris Johnson of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) will present. Click here for the Summit agenda.
The remote sensing technology and algorithm that will be discussed at the Summit are an extension of OpTIS, the Operational Tillage Information System.
OpTIS uses public satellite data and a proprietary algorithm developed by Regrow to track cover crops and tillage practices from 2005 through 2020. Data at the HUC 8 watershed scale or USDA crop reporting district level are available free at the CTIC website. An intuitive visualization tool on the CTIC site also allows users to explore OpTIS data run through the D ... more. |
... after celebrating its 40th Anniversary last week in St. Louis, while also conducting its 15th annual Conservation in Action Tour, which attracted a diverse group of nearly 150 participants including farmers, crop consultants, researchers, agribusiness leaders, conservation staffers, and policymakers. During the morning, attendees saw climate smart practices such as cover crops and conservation tillage at work in the field. Later, they moved indoors to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center to hear from a number of experts about what the future will bring in several key climate smart areas: soil carbon technologies, data science, remote sensing, and advanced nutrient technologies.
About the Conservation Technology Information Center
The Conservation Technology Information Cent ... more. |
... after celebrating its 40th Anniversary last week in St. Louis, while also conducting its 15th annual Conservation in Action Tour, which attracted a diverse group of nearly 150 participants including farmers, crop consultants, researchers, agribusiness leaders, conservation staffers, and policymakers. During the morning, attendees saw climate smart practices such as cover crops and conservation tillage at work in the field. Later, they moved indoors to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center to hear from a number of experts about what the future will bring in several key climate smart areas: soil carbon technologies, data science, remote sensing, and advanced nutrient technologies.
About the Conservation Technology Information Center
The Conservation Technology Information Cent ... more. |
... now for the September 12-13 Conservation in Action Tour and CTIC 40th Anniversary Celebration, in St. Louis.
Here are some highlights:
CTIC 40th Anniversary Gala in St. Louis' Forest Park on Monday evening, September 12.
September 13 field tour at the Henry White Experimental Farm in St. Clair County, Illinois, including cover crops, conservation tillage systems, and healthy pollinator habitat alongside fields managed with all the tools of modern agriculture technology.
Panel discussions on carbon-smart farming, remote sensing technology, and the latest approaches to nutrient management.
An Ag Tech Showcase and tour of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.
Register now online—space is limited. The $275 registration fe ... more. |
... by CTIC, based on the Farmer’s enrollment of Fields into the Phosphorous Load Reduction Stimulus Program (“PLUS-UP”).
CTIC agreed to pay Farmer $100 per pound of load reductions of dissolved reactive phosphorous based on computer modeling performed by Heidelberg University, compared against a baseline of no Conservation “Practices”: i.e., conventional tillage, no cover crops, and none of any of the other relevant conservation practices employed by the Farmer on the enrolled Fields between harvest of the 2021 crop and planting of the 2022 crop.
Once planting of the 2022 crop has been completed for the enrolled Fields, the Farmer is asked to affirm the conservation practices employed on each Field, using this form. Farmers wishing to receiv ... more. |
... soil health, remote sensing,andmore."
The Conservation Technology Information Center brings together farmers, crop advisers, policymakers, agribusiness leaders, conservation personnel, researchers and othersinterested in systems that help make farmers more economically and environmentally sustainable. Current projectsinclude:
•The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), which uses satellite imagery and a specialalgorithmto documentthe adoption of soil-building farming practices;
•Spearheading stimulus projects that encourage phosphorus managementto protect surface waters in the Western Lake Erie Basin;
•Conducting educational programs on conservation practices;
•Hosting ... more. |
... soil health, remote sensing,andmore."
The Conservation Technology Information Center brings together farmers, crop advisers, policymakers, agribusiness leaders, conservation personnel, researchers and othersinterested in systems that help make farmers more economically and environmentally sustainable. Current projectsinclude:
•The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), which uses satellite imagery and a specialalgorithmto documentthe adoption of soil-building farming practices;
•Spearheading stimulus projects that encourage phosphorus managementto protect surface waters in the Western Lake Erie Basin;
•Conducting educational programs on conservation practices;
•Hosting ... more. |
CTIC will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, looking back at the evolution of the organization—and of conservation agriculture in America—and looking forward to the next 40 years of the organization's mission.
Over the years, CTIC has progressed from a strong focus on no-till and reduced tillage to a broader approach to economic and environmental sustainability that grew to include water and air quality, soil health, and climate-smart agriculture. Through it all, CTIC has been a clearinghouse for information and a hub for bringing a wide range of people together to share insights and ideas on making conservation farming systems more successful.
The 40th Anniversary celebrati ... more. |
... whether crop insurance programs discourage growers from planting cover crops.
The webinar, recorded live on April 29, is part of a six-webinar series coordinated by CTIC over the next two years. The April program also features Soren Rundquist of Regrow Ag and CTIC's Dave Gustafson describing updates in the algorithm and coverage area of OpTIS.
The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) uses a proprietary algorithm to analyze satellite imagery to identify winter cover crops and crop residue levels. Data are available from 2005 to 2020 and may be queried free at the HUC8 or Crop Reporting District level across a range of commodity crop rotations.
OpTIS data have also been run through the De-Nitrification/DeComposition model to provide estim ... more. |
... and technology—the perfect place to celebrate 40 years of advances in conservation
farming and the diverse people and perspectives driving its future," says Mike Komp, CTIC's executive director. "For four decades, CTIC has been bringing people together to advance conservation agriculture. Over that time, we've evolved from our early days of manual conservation tillage surveys to the work we're doing today with satellite data."
CTIC will kick off the event with a 40th Anniversary celebration on Monday, September 12. On Monday evening, we will include a sponsored reception along with a presentation exploring the past, present and future of the organization's work as a hub of information, connecting people who are passionate about conser ... more. |
... get a (virtual) front row seat for the latest OpTIS research updates! Since you last joined us for an OpTIS webinar, we’ve added data for 2019-2020 and even more states.
We’ll be joined by Prof. Roderick Rejesus of NC State as he’ll describe how he used remote sensing data from OpTIS to study the impact of crop insurance programs on cover crop use. The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), a Regrow technology (https://www.regrow.ag), uses satellite data and a sophisticated algorithm to monitor conservation practices in agricultural systems, including reduced tillage and winter cover crops.
This free webinar event wouldn’t be complete without hearing from Soren Rundquist (Regrow) and Dave Gustafson (CTIC) as they review the latest OpTIS ... more. |
OpTIS 2.1—FEATURING 2020 DATA—WILL BE ONLINE FREE BY YEAR-END
A new year's worth of remote sensing data on tillage and winter cover crops from the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) will be available by the end of December, expanding the dataset that extends back to 2005 across the Corn Belt.
A powerful, intuitive visualization tool on the CTIC website allows visitors to explore trends in tillage and cover crop adoption through maps and charts while manipulating geography, date range and crop ... more. |
THIS IS THE PERFECT YEAR TO BE PART OF CTIC
2022 is the perfect time to join CTIC- join CTIC as a member as we celebrate our 40th anniversary and hostour annual tour.
https://ctic.org/Membership/Membership_Info
YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN CTIC SUPPORTS:
• Innovations in tracking the adoption of conservation on the ground...from field-level validation to online surveys to remote ... more. |
... partnerships that will lead us through 2021 and into our 40th anniversary year in 2022.
Meanwhile, we and our partners are making inroads to develop a market-based mechanism to compensate farmers for reducing phosphorus levels in the waterways of the Western Lake Erie Basin.
With other partners, we are getting ready to release an expanded data set from our Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS). In addition to expanding the geography and adding another year of data, we are fine-tuning it to make OpTIS data a mainstay of evaluating changes in tillage and cover crop practices across a growing expanse of the Corn Belt.
We are constantly finding new ways to share information on cover crops, soil health, conservation practices from deep in the field to ... more. |
Working closely with US EPA, CTIC is taking the agency's three-day National Recreational Water Quality Workshop virtual this year. Click here for the agenda.
The workshop provides a nationwide forum for recreational water quality managers, stakeholders, researchers and public health officials at all levels to share information and ideas about implementing successfu ... more. |
A recorded one-hour webinar on using CTIC data to analyze trends in conservation farming practices across the Corn Belt is available on CTIC's website. The video, recorded as a live webinar last October, includes a discussion of the use of Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) data through the De-Nitrification/De-Composition (DNDC) model, as well as presentations by three users of the data:
Ward Smith, Senior Physical Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Steven Rosenzweig, Senior Soil Scientist, General Mills
Debbie Reed, Executive Director, Ecosystem Services Market Consortium
&nbs ... more. |
... and policy interests of America's cooperatives and other farmer-owned enterprise.
No-Till Farmer
www.no-tillfarmer.com
Since 1972, No-Till Farmer has been delivering the latest information through magazines, newsletters, books, reports and conferences. No-Till Farmer provides valuable ideas, services and products to help farmers that are interested in any aspect of no-tillage farming.
Ohio No-till Council
ohionotillcouncil.com
The Ohio No-Till Council was formed in 1994 through the efforts of ten no-till farmers. The Council publishes it's research findings and other helpful communications through the Ohio No-Till News page of the Ohio's Country Journal. Members also help organize the annual Tri-State Conservation Tillage Conference for Ohio, ... more. |
... the Maumee and Sandusky river basins to reduce P loads by 40 percent using subsurface application, cover crops, and buffer strips. Through educational materials, workshops, and one-on-one training, CTIC, The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) and the Soil Health Partnership (SHP) will provide technical support to farmers on sustainable nutrient management practices.
Using the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS)—which analyzes publicly available satellite imagery to track tillage and cover crop adoption at the watershed scale—the field-level Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT) and models and monitoring data from Heidelburg University, CTIC and its partners will create baselines for water quality trading programs and monitor adoption of the conservation practices. The Ecosy ... more. |
... two common challenges in recreational waters. April 21-24, 2020
Read More
The Conservation Technology Information Center
The Conservation Technology Information Center promotes, supports and provides information on conservation technologies & sustainable agricultural systems.
Read More
Latest Project from CTIC
Data are available free from the Operational Tillage Information System—OpTIS—which analyzes remote sensing data to monitor conservation practices in agricultural systems.
Access Data
Become a Member
By becoming a member of CTIC, you'll be connected to a world of people from government, academia, agribusiness, the supply chain, and the farm who are committed to practical, productive conservation farming systems.
... more. |
View the CDR and HUC8 Tillage and Winter data charts by clickong on the corresponding titles below.
CRD Conservation Tillage
var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1573078379990'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object')[0]; if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 800 ) { vizElement.style.minWidth='420px';vizElement.style.maxWidth=' ... more. |
... http://www-agecon.ag.ohio-state.edu/faculty/bsohngen/bmp/filter.htm#grass
Conservation planning with the Core 4 approach.
As each year passes, we improve our understanding of how to manage for better soil, cleaner water, greater profits and a brighter future. We call this management approach the Core 4. The four fundamental components integrated into this approach are: Conservation Tillage; Crop Nutrient Management; Weed and Pest Management; and Conservation Buffers. If you’d like to learn more about the Core 4 approach, call your local agronomic and/or natural resources professional:
* Agricultural Retailer
* Certified Crop Advisor
* Conservation District
* Extension Agent
* Independent Crop Consultant
* Natural Resources Conservation Service
|
Remote Sensing Technology Drives Conservation Solutions
New Data Show Soil Health Practices on IA, IL and IN Farmland Is Moving in the Right Direction
Today marks the first release of regional-scale data from the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), a new tool that has the potential to unlock conservation solutions for a variety of food and agricultural supply chain stakeholders. These data document the level of adoption of soil health practices for Illinois, Indiana and Iowa from 2005 to 2018. By the end of July, the same data will be available for the entire Corn Belt—an area extending from eastern O ... more. |
By adopting conservation practices like cover crops and reduced tillage or no-till, farmers can help reduce the effects of climate change, including soil erosion, declining land productivity and desertification, according to Climate Change and Land, a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released today. More than 100 experts from 52 countries contributed to the report.
Mike Komp, executive director of the Conservation Technology ... more. |
... just five years, to more than 15 million acres in 2017.
As for herbicides like glyphosate, they can play a critical role in conservation practices. Modern agriculture includes mechanization and intensification, which provides many important societal benefits including greater crop yields, more efficient animal production enterprises, and multiple new consumer products. Conventional tillage is often an essential contributor to these benefits, but there are some scenarios where it can also lead to extensive soil disturbance – and the resulting erosion of top soil and unwanted delivery of soil sediment to surface waters.
That’s where glyphosate and other herbicides became part of the conservation solution – by reducing the need for mechanical tillage. Co ... more. |
A massive new data set chronicling residue management and winter cover crop use in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana from 2005 through 2018 is now in the final stages of preparation for release on CTIC's website. The resource—the Operational Tillage Information System, or OpTIS—uses publicly available remote sensing data to monitor the adoption of no-till, conservation tillage, and winter cover crops. Data covering the rest of the Corn Belt, extending from eastern Ohio to eastern Kansas and Nebraska and from the Missouri Bootheel to the Red River Valley of North Dakota, will be available in the next few weeks.
&nbs ... more. |
... to fill.
"Mike brings skills that reflect not only the legacy of CTIC but also the technical knowledge that will help guide our organization into the future," Tindall said.
"For nearly 40 years, CTIC has kept up with the latest technology to collect and disseminate information about conservation agriculture. Today, with projects like our new Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), remote sensing and big-data analysis are becoming central to our mission," Tindall added. "Mike brings his experience in those fields—and his program development skills—which will help farmers, consultants, researchers, conservation professionals, policy makers and so many more stakeholders put that information to work promoting farming systems th ... more. |
... that fits you best – Individual, Institutional or Corporate. For additional benefits and recognition, increase your contribution. Each level includes additionalbenefits through Gold, Silver and Bronze.
All CTIC members benefit from:
One-year subscription to Conservation Partners and Member Mail e-newsletters
Free access to higher-resolution data from the OpTIS Operational Tillage Information System database
Recognition on CTIC’s web page
Please identify which category applies to your business to find your basic membership fee. To upgrade to medal-level membership, add the amount in the appropriate box below.
Corporate Membership Benefits
Basic Corporate Membership
Basic-1: $6,500 - Gross revenue greater than $500 million
Basic-2: $2, ... more. |
... Crop Interseeding in Rice County"
Stop #3 - Dave Legvold Farm, Northfield, Minn.
Drainage water management, including a saturated buffer demonstration, and SWCD's role in buffers, highlighting Dakota County's Farmland and Natural Areas Program (FNAP)
Download the handout Saturated Buffers: A new approach to water quality
Impacts of reduced tillage on soil health and a demonstration of Soil Warrior strip-tillage equipment
Download the handout Fine-Tuning Nitrogen Rates for Strip-Tilled Corn
Download the handout Reduce Wind Erosion for Long Term Productivity
Download the handout Considerations for Corn Residue Harvest in Minnesota
Stop #4 - Phil and Nate Ma ... more. |
April marks the launch of the first data set from the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), which combines satellite sensing technology with sophisticated modeling to map the adoption of conservation practices on the landscape.
The 21st century heir to CTIC's long-time Crop Residue Management (CRM) Survey, OpTIS will provide comprehensive maps of crop residue management practices and cover crops down to the HUC8 scale. Annual maps and data&md ... more. |
Keep nutrients in the Right Place, where crops can use them.
The farmer uses real-time kinematic precision guidance to apply N fertilizer in fall or early spring in a closely-controlled location relative to where the seed will be sown.
Strip-till conservation systems use minimal tillage. They combine soil drying and warming benefits of conventional tillage and soil-protecting advantages of no-till by disturbing only the portion of soil that will contain the seed row.
Here we are using fall applied N with an RTK strip-till system and comparing it to a conventional chisel plow system.
A special feature at this site is the demonstration of N use efficiency (NUE) rate comparis ... more. |
... available phosphorus)... Read more.
Slow Release Fertilizer
Herb and Aaron Steffen manage a 900-acre grain farm in southern Livingston and northern McLean counties. They hosted a demonstration and two nutrient use efficiency (NUE) trials.
The Steffens plant corn continuously on two-thirds of the acres and rotate planting of corn and... Read more.
Strip Tillage Fall Nitrogen Application
We designed this study to demonstrate differences in nitrogen rates and yields under the same nitrogen product, where the producer planted corn for two consecutive growing seasons.
We conducted this trial to: demonstrate strip... Read more.
Strip-till Nitrogen
Keep nutrients in the Right Place, where crops can use them.
The farm ... more. |
Herb and Aaron Steffen manage a 900-acre grain farm in southern Livingston and northern McLean counties. They hosted a demonstration and two nutrient use efficiency (NUE) trials.
The Steffens plant corn continuously on two-thirds of the acres and rotate planting of corn and soybeans on the rest of the land. Their minimum tillage practices leave at least 30% of the previous crops’ residue on the soil surface. This residue decreases soil erosion and feeds nutrients back to the soil.
They apply nitrogen after the corn plants emerge, when nutrient needs are the greatest. This minimizes nitrogen lost to air and water.
To maximize efficiency, farmers must select the right nutrient source. A controlled-release nitro ... more. |
... season-long nutrition.
It was side-dressed at two rates with a control plot where it was not applied.
Operation
Herb and Aaron Steffen, of Cropsey, Ill., operate a 900 acre grain farm in southern Livingston and northern Mclean counties. Two thirds of the acreage is devoted to continuous corn with one third in a corn/soybean rotation.
Minimum tillage practices are used to leave at least 30% residue on the soil surface.
Nitrogen is applied after the corn has emerged, and when the plant needs are the greatest, to minimize loss of nitrogen through leaching.
Currently there are three test plots on the Steffen farm.
>>More study details
Right Source
Match f ... more. |
... Time
Make nutrients available when crops need them
Time the application
Consider controlled release technologies and inhibitors
Choose fertilizer product
Right Place
Keep nutrients where crops can use them
Choose application method
Incorporate fertilizer
Use buffer strips
Use conservation tillage
Implement cover crop systems
Right Rate
Match amount of fertilizer to crop needs
Test soils
Yield goal analysis
Crop removal balance
Nutrient management planning
Plant tissue analysis
Record keeping
Variable rate technology
Site-specific management
Sponsors
&n ... more. |
... Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), a clearinghouse of information on conservation farming practices, has launched its brand-new website at www.ctic.org. The easy-to-search, simple-to-navigate site contains thousands of documents and links to information on conservation farming systems. Among the highlights are:
A searchable database from the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), which uses satellite imagery to provide detailed data on tillage practices and cover crops at the county or watershed (HUC-8) scale;
Cover crop insight, including details of the economic and environmental benefits of cover crops and the results of five annual farmer surveys on cover crop use;
Tips on organizing watershed groups and multi-stakeholder conservation ef ... more. |
The National Crop Residue Management Survey is a valuable tool that can be used to measure adoption of important soil-saving practices, demonstrate energy cost savings and monitor efforts to improve the environment. The Survey has been compiled and tracked by CTIC since 1982 and is the only survey in the U.S. to measure and track the type of tillage used by crop at the county level. Tillage methods tracked include no-till, ridge-till, reduced-till and intensive/conventional tillage, according to NRCS definitions.
Project Partners
State offices of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, local NRCS field offices, Conservation Districts and Extension offices
Project Description
The nationwide survey of cons ... more. |
... is estimated to exceed 9 billion people by 2050, placing unprecedented pressure on American farmers to grow even more of the crops that clothe, fuel and feed the world. One way to help alleviate this pressure is to significantly improvesoil healthon cropland.
By adopting practices like planting winter cover crops and reducing—or better yet eliminating—tillage practices, farmers can significantly improve productivity of their fields, reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and increase carbon storage. In fact, agricultural soils are among the planet's largest reservoirs (orsinks) of carbon. Improving soil on American croplands has the potential to mitigate 25 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. That’s the equivalent to t ... more. |
Indiana Pilot Study
Ten years of tillage-transect data collected by the State of Indiana were used to verify the ability of OpTIS algorithms to automatically process publicly-available remote sensing data, in order to accurately characterize tillage practices and the presence of winter cover crops.
View Resource
Next Step
Building on the success of the Indiana Pilot, CTIC is now again partnering with A ... more. |
CONNECT
CTIC brings people together. We build coalitions. We connect farmers, researchers, policymakers, agribusiness, and lead discussions that move conversations ahead.
INFORM
CTIC is a clearinghouse for convservation information, from Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) regional trend data to how to implement practices on your farm.
CHAMPION
CTIC helps farmers, advisers, and ag retailers tap conservation resources. We promote conservation practices and advocate for policies that make them economically sustainable.
|
... uniform nutrient distribution and provides essential nutrients crops need in one granule. It has two forms of sulfur for season-long nutrition.
Operation
Herb and Aaron Steffen, of Cropsey, Ill., operate a 900 acre grain farm in southern Livingston and northern Mclean counties. Two thirds of the acreage is devoted to continuous corn with one third in a corn/soybean rotation.
Minimum tillage practices are used to leave at least 30% residue on the soil surface.
Nitrogen is applied after the corn has emerged, and when the plant needs are the greatest, to minimize loss of nitrogen through leaching.
Currently there are three test plots on the Steffen farm.
Resource:
Steffen Corn on Corn No-till Mosaic Microssentials® MESZ
Right Source
Match ... more. |
... that fits this description, contact Chad Watts at watts@ctic.org.
OpTIS:
CTIC is currently working with Applied GeoSolutions, a data analytics company based out of New Hampshire, to refine and implement a remote sensing-based system that estimates crop residue amounts and determines the presence or absence of cover crops on cropland. Through this technology, called the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), CTIC will lead the next phase of the Crop Residue Management (CRM) survey, which CTIC operated between 1989 and 2004.
The current OpTIS project will collect crop residue and cover crops data from the U.S. Corn Belt between 2005 and 2017, filling gaps in tillage records that have widened since CTIC’s last national survey in 2004. In addition to docu ... more. |
... that fits this description, contact Chad Watts at watts@ctic.org.
OpTIS:
CTIC is currently working with Applied GeoSolutions, a data analytics company based out of New Hampshire, to refine and implement a remote sensing-based system that estimates crop residue amounts and determines the presence or absence of cover crops on cropland. Through this technology, called the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), CTIC will lead the next phase of the Crop Residue Management (CRM) survey, which CTIC operated between 1989 and 2004.
The current OpTIS project will collect crop residue and cover crops data from the U.S. Corn Belt between 2005 and 2017, filling gaps in tillage records that have widened since CTIC’s last national survey in 2004. In addition to docu ... more. |
... fits this description, contact Tammy Taylor attaylor@ctic.org
OpTIS:
CTIC is currently working with Applied GeoSolutions, a data analytics company based out of New Hampshire, to refine and implement a remote sensing-based system that estimates crop residue amounts and determines the presence or absence of cover crops on cropland. Through this technology, called the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), CTIC will lead the next phase of the Crop Residue Management (CRM) survey, which CTIC operated between 1989 and 2004.
The current OpTIS project will collect crop residue and cover crops data from the U.S. Corn Belt between 2005 and 2017, filling gaps in tillage records that have widened since CTIC’s last national survey in 2004. In addition to docu ... more. |
... fits this description, contact Tammy Taylor attaylor@ctic.org
OpTIS:
CTIC is currently working with Applied GeoSolutions, a data analytics company based out of New Hampshire, to refine and implement a remote sensing-based system that estimates crop residue amounts and determines the presence or absence of cover crops on cropland. Through this technology, called the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), CTIC will lead the next phase of the Crop Residue Management (CRM) survey, which CTIC operated between 1989 and 2004.
The current OpTIS project will collect crop residue and cover crops data from the U.S. Corn Belt between 2005 and 2017, filling gaps in tillage records that have widened since CTIC’s last national survey in 2004. In addition to docu ... more. |
... fits this description, contact Tammy Taylor at taylor@ctic.org.
OpTIS:
CTIC is currently working with Applied GeoSolutions, a data analytics company based out of New Hampshire, to refine and implement a remote sensing-based system that estimates crop residue amounts and determines the presence or absence of cover crops on cropland. Through this technology, called the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), CTIC will lead the next phase of the Crop Residue Management (CRM) survey, which CTIC operated between 1989 and 2004.
The current OpTIS project will collect crop residue and cover crops data from the U.S. Corn Belt between 2005 and 2017, filling gaps in tillage records that have widened since CTIC's last national survey in 2004. In addition to do ... more. |
... and donuts at Stuttgart Public Library
8:30 AM—Bus departs for Terry Dabbs’ farm
Outdoors on the farm
Discovery Farms: Water quality monitoring as a driver of voluntary conservation adoption - Mike Daniels, Arkansas Discovery Farms (30 mins.)
Dabbs Farm: Conservation practices used on the farm including a tail water recovery system and conservation tillage, experience with adopting them, and on-farm benefits - Terry Dabbs, Farmer & Michele Reba, ARS (75-90 min)
12:00 PM ~ (boxed lunch provided @ the farm)
Return to Stuttgart Public Library around noon
Topics of discussion
The Stevens Farm: Precision irrigation and its place in a practical system. Impacts on productivity and water quality, including results of ... more. |
Ag Consultant Training in Systems that Protect Water Quality National Aquatic Resources Workshop National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) Cover Crop Surveys
|
Ag Consultant Training in Systems that Protect Water Quality National Aquatic Resources Workshop National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) Cover Crop Surveys
|
The National Crop Residue Management (CRM) Survey is the only survey in the U.S. to measure at the county level the type of tillage used by crop. Tillage methods tracked are: no-till, mulch-till, reduced-till, and conventional tillage. Click here to see the tillage definitions.
Available Data
Data is available online from 1989 to 2008. Some of the data can be accessed without a password (unsecured data) and the rest requires a log in and password (secured data). Passwords are given to institutional and corporate members ... more. |
Ten years of tillage-transect data collected by the State of Indiana were used to verify the ability of OpTIS algorithms to automatically process publicly-available remote sensing data, in order to accurately characterize tillage practices and the presence of winter cover crops.
|
... and donuts at Stuttgart Public Library
8:30 AM—Bus departs for Terry Dabbs’ farm
Outdoors on the farm
Discovery Farms: Water quality monitoring as a driver of voluntary conservation adoption - Mike Daniels, Arkansas Discovery Farms (30 mins.)
Dabbs Farm: Conservation practices used on the farm including a tail water recovery system and conservation tillage, experience with adopting them, and on-farm benefits - Terry Dabbs, Farmer & Michele Reba, ARS (75-90 min)
12:00 PM ~ (boxed lunch provided @ the farm)
Arrive back at Stuttgart Public Library around noon
Topics of discussion
The Stevens Farm: Precision irrigation and its place in a practical system. Impacts on productivity and water quality, including result ... more. |
... AM - Check-in, coffee and donuts at Stuttgart Public Library
8:30 AM—Bus departs for Terry Dabbs’ farm
Outdoors on the farm
Discovery Farms: Water quality monitoring as a driver of voluntary conservation adoption - Mike Daniels, Arkansas Discovery Farms (30 mins.)
Dabbs Farm: Conservation practices used on the farm including a tail water recovery system and conservation tillage, experience with adopting them, and on-farm benefits - Terry Dabbs, Farmer & Michele Reba, ARS (75-90 min)
12:00 PM ~ (boxed lunch provided @ the farm)
Return to Stuttgart Public Library around noon
Topics of discussion
The Stevens Farm: Precision irrigation and its place in a practical system. Impacts on productivity and water quality, including results of on-farm wa ... more. |
CTIC, with funding provided by the United Soybean Board, updated its 2003 publication on conservation tillage and biotechnology. CTIC's new publication, "Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology", explores the environmental benefits of conservation tillage practices, which are facilitated significantly by biotechnology crops. The publication, reviewed by a panel of experts, shows the dramatic improvements in envir ... more. |
... for the national Farming for Maximum Efficiency program (The MAX®) sponsored byCTICand Successful Farming magazine.
WinMax manages crop input data, calculates crop fertilizer recommendations, generates production cost and nutrient management worksheets, and allows sets of custom input costs to be created and used in all calculations.
Various management options, such as tillage, pest control and fertilizer strategies, can be compared to help assess which practices are both economically efficient and environmentally sound.
Visit WinMax site.
|
... Time the application
+ Consider controlled release technologies and inhibitors
+ Choose fertilizer product
Right Place
Keep nutrients where crops can use them
+ Choose application method
+ Incorporate fertilizer
+ Use buffer strips
+ Use conservation tillage
+ Implement cover crop systems
Right Rate
Match amount of fertilizer to crop needs
+ Test soils
+ Yield goal analysis
+ Crop removal balance
+ Nutrient management planning
+ Plant tissue analysis
+ Record keeping
... more. |
A highly qualified crop consultant (watershed coordinator) has been identified in each watershed to provide one on one technical support to the producers who participate in this program. These people will meet with producers and help them make important decisions to ensure a successful transition to using a cover crop and conservation tillage system.
Lake Michigan Coordinator
Christina Curell
Central Region Water Quality Educator, Mecosta
14485 Northland Drive
Big Rapids, MI, 49307
Phone: (231) 592-0792
Cell: (231) 287-8617
Email: curellc@msu.edu
Christina graduated from Michigan State University with a ... more. |
Keep nutrients in the Right Place, where crops can use them.
The farmer uses real-time kinematic precision guidance to apply N fertilizer in fall or early spring in a closely-controlled location relative to where the
seed will be sown.
Strip-till conservation systems use minimal tillage. They combine soil drying and warming benefits of conventional tillage and soil-protecting advantages of no-till by disturbing only the portion of soil that will contain the seed row.
Here we are using fall applied N with an RTK strip-till system and comparing it to a conventional chisel plow system.
A special feature at this site is the demonstration of N ... more. |
Herb and Aaron Steffen manage a 900-acre grain farm in southern Livingston and northern McLean counties. They hosted a demonstration and two nutrient use efficiency (NUE) trials.
The Steffens plant corn continuously on two-thirds of the acres and rotate planting of corn and soybeans on the rest of the land. Their minimum tillage practices leave at least 30% of the previous crops’ residue on the soil surface. This residue decreases soil erosion and feeds nutrients back to the soil.
They apply nitrogen after the corn plants emerge, when nutrient needs are the greatest. This minimizes nitrogen lost to air and water.
To maximize efficiency, farmers must select the right nutrient source. A controlled-rele ... more. |
CTIC's new publication, Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology.
This publication explores the breadth of the environmental benefits of conservation tillage practices, which are facilitated significantly by biotechnology crops. Access the full document or executive summary to learn about the dramatic improvements in environmental sustainability and productivity over the past several years.
|
Spying on Residue
Remote Sensing of Crop Residue Cover and Soil Tillage Intensity
Remote Sensing the Spacial Distribution of Crop Residues
|
CTIC Institutional Member, No-Till Farmer, provides the management information for farmers interested in and practicing reduced tillage techniques. To learn more about No-Till Farmer, visit www.no-tillfarmer.com/
|
... values each member,” says Karen Scanlon, executive director. “All of our successes, past and present, depend on the participation, input and support of our members.”
In 1982, a group of agribusiness leaders, together with the National Association of Conservation Districts, formed CTIC to promote and provide information about conservation tillage.
In the three decades since, CTIC has expanded its focus, increased and diversified its membership and worked with thousands of people across the country to advance conservation.
Our members make it all possible. Thank you!
|
... events. In addition to the outreach events, GLCCI coordinators are working in each watershed to give farmers one on one consultations to help them establish successful cover crops and learn to manage their systems to include growing acres of cover crops.
In 2012 we have several events planned.
We will be hosting a Farmer Networking Session at the Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference in Ada, Ohio on March 6th. The Networking session will be at the end of a full day of cover crop presentations. Farmers and speakers are invited to gather at the Inn and discuss the information that has been presented throughout the day. Link to the CTC conference http://fabe.osu.edu/ctc/ If you are interested in sponsoring this event please contact Angie Williams 765-37 ... more. |
... and partners
Promote consistent messages about conservation agriculture
Share information about conservation agriculture
Endorse adoption of "the ideal" conservation agriculture systems
Facilitate removal of barriers and support member organizations
Influence policy on a broad level
Current CASA Members
Conservation Tillage Workgroup (California)
Delta Conservation Demonstration Center (Mississippi)
Georgia Conservation Tillage Alliance
Innovative Cropping Systems (Virginia)
Manitoba-North Dakota Zero Tillage Farmers Association
Mexican Conservation Tillage Association
No-Till on the Plains
Ohio No-Till Council
Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association
Pennsylvania No-Till Allianc ... more. |
CTIC recently received a Grant from EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative that will fund the promotion of cover crops and conservation tillage in the Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan Watersheds. Agricultural producers will be provided with technical, educational and social support which will work together to create strong cover crop and conservation tillage systems that can be sustained after the project ends.
Education
CTIC will work with partners to host 18 workshops in the three watersheds (Lake Michigan Watershed, ... more. |
By facilitating the switch to conservation tillage, biotech crops have helped dramatically reduce soil erosion and water pollution, increase carbon sequestration, and lower the use of crop protection chemicals by millions of pounds per year.
|
CTIC's new publication, Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology, explores the breadth of the environmental benefits of conservation tillage practices, which are facilitated significantly by biotechnology crops. Access the full document and executive summary to learn about the dramatic improvements in environmental sustainability and productivity over the past several years.
According to Dr. Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution, farmers must produce more food in the next 50 years than has been produced in the past ... more. |
... and which management practices will improve soil function.
SOIL BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Respiration
All soil breathes. The rate of respiration, which is determined by measuring carbon dioxide production in the soil, indicates biological activity. High respiration does not always indicate good soil quality.
When oxygen is added to the plow depth, as in conventional tillage methods, biological activity increases temporarily and microorganisms rapidly decompose organic matter.
Mike Hubbs (left), agronomist with NRCS, collecting core sample for bulk density while waiting on respiration test.
This high rate of biological activity in a system of low residue inputs decreases soil organic matter. Less organic matter degrades overall soil quali ... more. |
... that allow for better control, with minimum risk to the environment. Resistant plants, cultural controls, soil amendments, beneficial insects, natural enemies, barriers, physical treatments, behavioral disruptants, biological and conventional pesticides are some of these management strategies.
Increases Profits
Inputs such as mechanical cultivation, pesticides, fertilizers and tillage trips cost money. By using best management practices to apply these inputs when they are actually needed, growers can reduce costs. Weed and pest management can help match the best method of control with the optimum time to maximize benefits of the control. Thus, weed and pest management can improve the bottom line for growers.
Reduces Risks
Weed and pest management results in fewer h ... more. |
Crop Nutrient Management Facts
What is it?
It is a system of crop production with little, if any, tillage. It increases the residue from the crop that
remains in the field after harvest through planting. This results in increased natural recycling of crop residues.
Used on 38% (109 million acres) of all U.S. cropland (293 million planted acres).
Goal is 50% (146 million acres) of the planted cropland in the U.S. by 2004.
Where is the use of conservation tillage expected to i ... more. |
... or stripcropping needed for steeper slopes?
Are field borders needed to replace end rows in the contouring system to control sheet and rill erosion?
Tech notes
Establish a key line around the hill by using a hand level or contour gauge.
Contour key line grade should not exceed 2% except within 100 feet of an outlet. In that case, the grade can be a 3% slope.
Perform all tillage and planting operations parallel to the key contour line.
Contouring is less effective in preventing soil erosion on steeper or longer slopes.
Replace end rows with field borders to reduce erosion.
Topography may be too steep and/or irregular to contour.
Maintenance
Use grassed waterways in areas where runoff is concentrated to prevent gully erosion.
Contoured rows should ... more. |
... to Dave
Brandt to present to Acgo.
Still want to work together (Brian and Peter) on working paper of what research should look
like and direction it should take.
Want to work on CASA PowerPoint that each member can use to promote CASA at their
meetings, etc.
Community of Practice in support of Conservation Agriculture – Karen to resend to group.
Member Updates
Reduced Tillage LINKAGES: Finished FarmTech conference; 1,200 attendance. Ross Johns from
Australia talked GRDC and his farm. Wayne Smith and John Phipps also spoke. Projects:
measuring energy uses in different tillage systems; evaluating GHG calculator, HOLOS, which
can be downloaded and used to estimate GHG emissions from farm. Will send link. Will be
closing organization in August 2009; will keep us p ... more. |
... Unilever, designed the tool for farmers, supply chain managers and companies interested in quantifying their agricultural carbon footprint and finding practical ways of reducing it.
Study Demonstrates No-Till Improves Soil Stability
A joint Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-multi-university study across the central Great Plains, on the effects of more than 19 years of various tillage practices, shows that no-till makes soil much more stable than plowed soil. The study was led by Humberto Blanco-Canqui at Kansas State Universityat Hays, Kan., and Maysoon Mikha at the ARS Central Great PlainsResearch Station in Akron, Colo. ARS researchers Joe Benjamin andMerle Vigil at Akron were part of the research team that studied foursites across the Great Pl ... more. |
... and the potential impact on conservation.
The task force is made up of representatives from conservation districts, academia, federal agencies and related industry. They began by studying how the weeds developed a resistance to herbicides.Next, they began determining the impacts of herbicide resistance on soil and water conservation and assessing the potential impact on conservation tillage practices, especially no till crop production.
Herbicide resistance is a good example of survival of the fittest. Producers essentially selected for weeds that were naturally resistant or showed some tolerance for the chemical. When producers allowed “stray” weeds to grow in the fields after chemical treatment, the resistant weeds were allowed to go to seed and thus ... more. |
... covers (radishes). Hafner says many different types of root systems improve soil quality and its holding capacity. “A mix of cover crops allows water soluble nutrients to be captured and available for the next year’s crop,” he said.
Hafner grows corn, soybeans, hay and small grains on about 1,500 acres, and runs a 250-cow/calf herd on another 500 acres. Hafner practices tillage, but only the top four inches of soil. He says cover crops help keep fall-applied manure from washing away. “When you turn cover crops over that are 6, 8 or 10 inches tall, it helps keep the phosphorus on the farm reducing leaching,” he said. “[As an organic farmer] I need those nutrients.”
Since Hafner practices some tillage, his soils have less crop residue cover t ... more. |
... says Dan Gillespie, a corn and soybean grower from Nebraska's Loess Hills who also serves as the state no-till specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Nebraska. “He stopped by and said, ‘I had a wonderful time no-tilling my field yesterday. My neighbor had a four-wheel-drive tractor and a field cultivator out, and while he was running out there doing tillage, I was planting.'”
Back to Basics
In April, Gillespie compared the difference in time and fuel between conventional tillage and no-till.
“I wanted to give farmers a direct look so they could say, ‘this is how much it's costing me and this is how much time it's taking. Is it worth it?'” Gillespie says.
... more. |
... CTIC Web site, www.ctic.org. To become a valued sponsor of this event, contact CTIC at 765-494-9555.
New CTIC publication to detail environmental benefits of agricultural biotechnology
Agricultural biotechnology is a powerful tool for increasing yields, improving crop
quality and characteristics, and facilitating sustainable farming practices such as conservation tillage — all vital to keeping up with the world’s growing demand for food, feed, fuel and fiber.
A new booklet developed by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) — “Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology” — digs deep into the data surrounding the adoption of biotech ... more. |
... in the soils. Increased organic matter serves as a food source to various soil organisms and increases the biological activity. Higher biological activity increases nutrient cycling and availability and also reduces nutrient loss from runoff. Soil structure and tilth are improved, increasing infiltration rates and reducing compaction.
Despite these benefits, many farmers still believe tillage leads to higher corn yields. In a single year, this may be true. With tillage, the breakdown of organic matter is accelerated, and nutrients are quickly released to the crop. However, continuous tillage decreases soil organic matter, decreasing the overall level of released nutrients. With less organic matter, soil productivity and soil structure decline. Over time, our soils have lost 50 to 70 p ... more. |
... dining on their Christmas feasts in the cabs of their combines.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nov. 17, 2009 “Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin,” only 54 percent of the nation’s corn crop had been harvested, compared to the five-year average of 89 percent at that date – the slowest rate in 35 years.
Regardless of a farmer’s chosen tillage methods, he’s likely felt the pain and frustration of a slow, tedious harvest. However, for producers choosing no-till farming, the challenges might be a bit less painful.
Producers using no-till cropping systems sometimes may see a delay in planting, as the soil can take a few more days to warm to planting temperatures. However, the benefits of a no-till system can far outweigh ... more. |
... Each farm ranges from 60 to 400 acres. Schroeder doesn’t hesitate, though, when talking about ways he and his brother work to conserve the land.
The Schroeder brothers no-till about 60 percent of their cropland, and only lightly disk some poorly draining bottomland and flatland. Butch Schroeder says reducing soil erosion is his primary goal in no-tilling and practicing conservation tillage. But he says there are cost benefits, too. “With every field pass, you throw a lot of fuel out there,” he says. “For what it takes to produce a good yield, we have cut back on field passes and fuel usage as much as possible.”
This terrace lies on cropland Schroeder farms in Guthrie County. Terraces are effective in reducing the rate of runoff and allowing soil par ... more. |
Research & Technology Briefs
Calculating Economic Returns for Conservation Tillage and Cotton
Scientists at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have improved the precision of calculating the costs and benefits of using conservation tillage in cotton production.
Learn more at this web site: www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2009/090317.htm.
EPA Announces Video Contest
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will award $2,500 to the winning video that ed ... more. |
... closed tile intakes and other best management practices.
"The farmer has to think about water before the rain droplets strike the soil," Thompson notes. "The first thought is how to try to prevent the raindrop from striking bare soil. Once it's on the soil surface, we want it seeping into the ground and not running off the field, so we're working on tillage systems and buffering riparian areas.
"We've accomplished all those goals and had a big positive response in our surface waters and wetlands," he adds. "But the water passing through the drainage systems still needed some sort of treatment and is still very energy-charged when it comes out the outlet."
As a result, drainage water management co ... more. |
... catalytic reduction systems in its facilities and has implemented projects to reduce toxic emissions of ammonia, nitrate and methanol. Currently, the company is installing low-NOx burners and greenhouse abatement systems to further reduce NOx and carbon dioxide emissions.
www.terraindustries.com
INSTITUTIONAL
Alberta Reduced Tillage LINKAGES (RTL)
The Alberta Reduced Tillage LINKAGES (RTL) program is a partnership with broad-based farmer, industry, educational, wildlife and government support. RTL's mission is to be a reliable and trustworthy resource focused on increasing the adoption of sustainable production systems by Alberta farmers and ranchers.
www.reducedtillage.ca/
... more. |
... can do to decrease the amounts of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) in the water supply are listed below. The bottom line is that there is no correlation between no-till farming and increased phosphorus runoff.
To read the full article from The Toledo Blade, visit: toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080907/COLUMNIST42/809070333
For more information about conservation tillage, visit CTIC's web site: www.conservationinformation.org/?action=learningcenter_core4_convotill
For any additional questions, contact Norm Widman at norm.widman@wdc.usda.gov or 202-720-3783.
Potential practices and management to address increased soluble reactive phosphorus:
Use continuous no-till cropping and high-residue mulch till systems to improve soil tilth ... more. |
... said Dan Uthe, an industrial process consultant with Novecta in Johnson, Iowa.
The first day of the consultation was dedicated to exploring the science of soil carbon sequestration in the soil. Researchers from the South American tropics, the Australian bush, the Midwestern United States and China presented the results of their studies on how soil carbon levels responded to various tillage regimes. Not surprisingly, there were no simple answers.
Changes in soil carbon are small – imagine finding 1,000 pounds of carbon in a mass of soil 2.5 acres in area and 3 feet deep. Complex chemistry dictates that the soil can only sequester a limited amount of carbon per year, and that after a certain number of years – scientists believe it is 15 to 20 years – a field r ... more. |
CTIC's new publication, Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology, explores the breadth of the environmental benefits of conservation tillage practices, which are facilitated significantly by biotechnology crops. Access the full document and executive summary to learn about the dramatic improvements in environmental sustainability and productivity over the past several years.
According to Dr. Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution, farmers must produce more food in the next 50 years than has been produced in the past 1 ... more. |
... feet beyond that area. *
Don't plant trees on the south or east side of a road. At mature height
the trees will cast a shadow and prolong icy road conditions. *
Keep plantings 20 to 30 feet away from phone or utility lines.
Plant trees according to spacing recommendations for the species.
Do not plant over septic leach fields.
Maintenance
Control competing vegetation with tillage or herbicides before planting and for the first three years after planting.
Fence livestock out.
Inspect regularly to help control damage.
* Check local recommendations.
|
... acres. *
Build the basin large enough to control the runoff from a 10-year storm without overtopping.
Install a tile or infiltration outlet. *
Use fill material free if sod, roots, frozen materials and stones larger than 6 inches in diameter. It should also have correct moisture content
for adequate compaction.
Spacing for water and sediment control basins depends on the land slope, tillage and management system. Consult NRCS for recommended
spacing.
Maintenance
Reseed and fertilize as needed to maintain vegetative cover.
Check the basin after each large storm, and make any needed repairs.
* Check local recommendations.
|
Leaving last year's crop residue on the soil surface by limiting tillage. Includes no-till, mulch-till and ridge till.
How it works
Leaving last year's crop residue on the surface before and during planting operations provides cover for the soil at a critical time of the year. The residue is left on the surface by reducing tillage operations and turning the soil less. Pieces of crop residue shield soil particles from rain and wind until plants can produce ... more. |
... not allow cover crops to grow large enough to survive the winter. *
Seed from the end of August until mid-September. *
Cover crops may be air seeded prior to harvesting soybeans and other crops, or seeded conventionally after silage harvest.
Many crops can be used for cover crops. Cereal rye is common.
Kill cover crops in the spring. Mowing or herbicide application is acceptable. Tillage is not recommended because it will bury residue.
Early kill is important to reduce the risk of depleting moisture needed for the grain crop.
Legume cover crops add nitrogen to the soil, providing a low-cost fertilizer for grain crops.
Follow the NRCS recommended seeding rates for the cover crop you select: *
Crop lb./ac.
Oats 70
Cereal rye 90
Winter wheat 90
Alfalfa 12
Sweet cl ... more. |
Weed & Pest Management (IPM) Benefits
Increases Profits
Inputs such as mechanical cultivation, pesticides, fertilizers and tillage costs money. By using best management practices to apply these inputs when they are actually needed, growers can reduce costs. Weed and pest management can help schedule required controls at the right time to maximize the benefits of the practice. Weed and pest management can improve the bottom line for growers.
Reduces Risks
Weed and pest management results in fewer pesticide application ... more. |
... changing nutrient requirements during the growing season, a combination of technology and your management skills assure optimum nutrient availability at all stages of growth. No-till corn generally requires starter fertilizer to give the seedling a healthy start.
8. Recommended timing. When does the soil temperature drop below 50 degrees? Will a nitrogen stabilizer be used? What’s the tillage practice? Strip-till corn and no-till corn require different timing approaches than corn planted into a field that’s been tilled once with a field cultivator. Will a starter fertilizer be used to give the seedling a healthy start? How many acres can be covered with available labor (custom or hired) and equipment? Does your manure application depend on a custom applicator’s schedule? W ... more. |
... than abundant food, fiber and energy. They also expect agriculture to protect air, soil, water and wildlife.
What do farmers need to do?
Core 4 Conservation farmers all strive toward these goals and will achieve the results in the best way possible for their particular land and management abilities. Four of the key systems likely to be involved crop production include:
Conservation Tillage
Crop Nutrient Management
Pest Management (IPM)
Conservation Buffers
What is different about this?
Core 4 Conservation goes beyond talking about what agriculture is doing to protect the environment. It is a public way of showing that agriculture is taking responsibility to build on the environmentally sound management practices already used on the farm. This will be done by tracking ... more. |
... water to nearby Indianapolis
Lamb Farms , Lebanon, Indiana
• 84% of corn and soybeans are no-till or strip-till
• RTK systems used to apply and manage nutrients
• 98 percent of compost produced is used on their farm for fertilizer and soil amendment
• Nearly 50 acres of conservation buffers along ditches
Meadowlane Farms , Frankfort, Indiana
• Tillage reduced by 75 percent on 1,300 acres of corn and soybeans
• Balanced feed rations to produce balanced manure from 15,000-head hog operation
• Custom-application of manure through a homemade injector attached to a hose nearly two miles long
• Reduced water content by 50 percent with new technology that manages pigs' use of water
Rulon Enterprises , Arcadia, Indiana
... more. |
... beneficial results are:
1. Soil Quality
2. Economics
3. Water Resources
Soil Quality Concerns
The general soil quality condition indicates a declining trend in soil organic matter content. This indicator is the reason the Southern Plains Agricultural Resources Coalition chose soil quality concern on cropland as the primary resource concern. This decline is largely due to the tillage practices and lack of crop rotations employed over the last 40 or 50 years. Soil organic matter levels are characteristically below 0.5% on cropland and continue to trend downward. This is well below the 3.5 to 4.5% present before tillage was introduced to this area.
Among other things, tillage practices on cropland have been used to bury and/or chop up crop residues in order to speed up th ... more. |
... of manure. They’ve designed and built application equipment to deliver manure to the soil as directly and odor-free as possible, with minimal disturbance of surface crop residues. When Dave and Chris get going, they can cover 6 to 11 acres an hour, delivering as much as 7,500 gallons of manure per acre at up to 3.5 mph.
On a 22-foot toolbar, they mounted heavy Genesis Tillage aeration tines at a 7-degree offset in front of huge nozzles to create what Dave Beard calls a “poke, lift, squirt” surface-application system. On another toolbar, the family mounted 11 straight coulters on 22-inch centers, each followed by a 12-inch Dietrich sweep with an injector. The result: quick, accurate placement of manure 4 to 6 inches below the soil surface.
B ... more. |
Agricultural biotechnology delivers more than just streamlined pest management options or the promise of healthier, higher quality crops. Biotech-derived crops allow growers to adopt sustainable farming practices ranging from conservation tillage to integrated pest management. Those practices protect soil, water and air quality and allow producers to sustain our natural resources as well as our lives and lifestyles.
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), with funding from the United Soybean Board, has produced Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biot ... more. |
... or sells a product used in no-till agriculture, CTIC is the organization you should support. CTIC is the only organization that I am aware of that promotes the agricultural conservation practice that truly minimizes the impact of agriculture on the environment – continuous no-till.
Continuous no-till agriculture is smart agriculture. It reduces air and water pollution associated with tillage, improves soil quality and results in higher profits to producers.
If you are a company that consumes agricultural products, CTIC is an organization deserving your support. Most businesses involved in processing ag products to produce consumer goods have to comply with air and water regulations. A company can take their commitment to product stewardship one step further by supporting the onl ... more. |
We live our values by making sustainability goals part of everything we do throughout the soybean lifecycle - from soil to seed to marketplace. Our environmental stewardship programs encourage reduced tillage as well as other tactics to improve energy efficiency, water conservation, water and air quality, and a variety of best management practices. |
