ARS | Publication request: A CONSERVATION TILLAGE PROFITABILITY LEARNING TOOL

Submitted to: Southern Conservation Tillage Systems Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 26, 2006
Publication Date: June 26, 2006
Citation: Bergtold, J.S., Morton, T.A. 2006. A conservation tillage profitability learning tool. In: Proceedings of the Annual Southern Conservation Tillage Systems Conference, June 26-28, 2006, Amarillo, Texas. CDROM

Technical Abstract: Many studies have examined the agronomic and economic impact of conservation tillage systems on the primary cash crops in Alabama and Georgia (e.g. corn, cotton, peanuts and soybeans) with mixed results. While some studies purport that conservation tillage systems are agronomically and economically beneficial, others have shown that conservation tillage systems under various circumstances can be detrimental and actually hurt crop yields and lower farm profits. To date, only a limited number of studies have tried to bring much of these results together to examine the impact of conservation tillage systems on corn, cotton, peanuts and soybeans across the Southeast. In an effort to bring the results of past and present agronomic and economic studies together into a decision support tool, the purpose of this project is to construct a conservation tillage profitability learning tool that allows end-users to assess the economic impact of alternative conservation tillage technologies, including cover crops, on different cropping systems in their geographic region of the Southeast. The initial version of the learning tool is a profitability calculator allowing users to examine the profitability of adopting conservation tillage technologies with or without a cover crop in Alabama and Georgia. Data used to construct the tool came from studies published in agronomic and economic journals, as well as research experiments being conducted in both states. Future versions of the learning tool will include information about the benefits and costs of conservation tillage and interactive agronomic components, as well as be expanded to include other states in the Southeast.