- Cornell Study Looks at
Reduced Tillage Techniques
By Kimberly Warren
Staff Writer
A study by some at Cornell University could make it possible for farmers in the Northeast to use reduced tillage techniques to control weeds.
Anu Rangarajan, assistant professor of horticulture at Cornell, is working with a team of growers, researchers and Extension personnel to find methods of reducing the amount of tillage used in the soil while incorporating no-till methods.
No-till techniques keep organic matter from the previous year’s crop near the surface—allowing rainfall to more easily soak into the soil, which reduces the amount of runoff. But, no-till practices do not work well in the Northeast, where cold climates keep the soil from warming and do not allow the crops to establish themselves.
“With reduced till, you’re creating that zone where you’re working with soil a little bit,” Rangarajan said. “It gives the crop a chance to establish more quickly. Just a small amount of tillage and a narrow band facilitates that crop getting established.”
In the reduced tillage study, growers till only a narrow band of soil where they will then plant the seed. Rangarajan said that four inches deep would be the maximum depth for the tillage.
“It is no-till in all areas except the narrow band where the seed goes—this helps the crop get established more easily in the soft soil, yet uses no till techniques in areas outside of that band,” she said.
The study, funded by a grant from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, will continue for three years, Rangarajan said.
Rangarajan said that the team is hoping to find that reduced tillage methods work as well as the more traditional methods used by farmers in the Northeast.
“We want it to be equivalent to conventional methods or with a slight reduction in yield,” she said. “But a small reduction is acceptable based on the savings on labor and equipment.”
Rangarajan said that the growers working with her are absolutely committed to making reduced tillage methods part of their farm. In fact, she said, they are working toward complete conversion to reduced tillage methods.
George Ayres has been using zone tillage methods since 1997 on his vegetable farm in New York.
“I dabble in no-till, but I’ve never been as successful as I would like,” Ayres said. “I do zone tillage…I’m working toward no-till.”
Ayres got involved with Rangarajan’s work when Rangarajan visited his farm about one year ago.
“She looked at what I was doing and was impressed,” he said.
His role has been to open up his farm to other interested growers and people who want to learn more about reduced tillage techniques. He also speaks at meetings and helps to educate people on reduced, or zone, tillage practices.
“The idea is to do less and less tillage because tillage is what causes the soil to degrade and lets organic material escape,” Ayres said. “I think the reason Anu is interested is because reduced tillage and no-till is not catching on very fast in the vegetable community.”
Rangarajan said that the reason for their study is, after all, to make reduced tillage methods available for the majority of growers.
“We want to develop a manual to provide some suggestions—a grower’s guide to reduced tillage for vegetables,” she said. “Our biggest goal is to make it so others can learn the systems quickly, rather than painfully slow. And to make it more feasible for small growers.”
