Chemical inputs to control pests may cost farmers up to $40 or $50 an acre. Through the partnership we have in this project, we plan to adopt and demonstrate low-input technologies for this region.–GERALD VIGUE
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Chemical inputs to control pests may cost farmers up to $40 or $50 an acre. Through the partnership we have in this project, we plan to adopt and demonstrate low-input technologies for this region.–GERALD VIGUE |
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How low can you go–
 Reducing chemical inputs in grain production |
Managing the fertility and pest problems that plague field crops is difficult on most farms, but it is especially tricky when buyers for specialty markets specify organic soybeans, or when regulations for protecting watersheds, wetlands and other special areas limit the agricultural chemicals that can be applied.
"How low can you go and still raise a decent corn or soybean crop? Pesticide-free crop production isn't going to work for the guy with 3,000 or 4,000 acres, but there are strategies and techniques that might make it promising for growers in sensitive areas or those interested in specialty markets," said Gerald Vigue, an agronomist at Western Illinois University. A research project supported with C-FAR funds is under way to assess pest control using such strategies as crop rotation and cover crops. The study includes a comparison of ridge-till and conventional till. Cooperators with WIU are area farmers Terry Davis and Jeff Reuschel, the Western Illinois Sustainable Agriculture Society, and Soil and Water Conservation Districts of McDonough and Warren counties.
The research is conducted on the Allison Farm. Most of the land has been pesticide-free for more than 40 years. These studies take in 37 acres of corn and nine acres of soybeans and include winter wheat in one of the rotations. Researchers expect rotation will prevent some insect, weed and disease problems. Several varieties of corn will be evaluated, including new Bt varieties with built-in protection from corn borers. Researchers will collect a variety of performance data, including fertility and grain yields.
For these studies, fields are not plowed. Some plots receive reduced tillage, while others have had 4- to 6-inch ridges put in the planting area. Weed control during the study relies entirely on precision rotary hoeing and row cultivation. Ridge-till may provide some weed control benefits. In addition, Vigue expects cover crops and ridge-till to help dry out wet spring soils, a particular problem on poorly-drained farms. Because these treatments involved controlled wheel traffic, one-half of all lots will be evaluated to determine if compaction can arise using these management systems.
To assess an organic fertilizer, researchers added a fish byproduct fertilizer component to the study. Three fish emulsion fertilizer rates will be studied on the organic portion of the farm, which has had only manure fertilizer. Another study will compare the fish emulsion fertilizer to conventional urea fertility treatments. Fall-planted cover crops will provide additional nitrogen for these fields.
The C-FAR funds allowed researchers to expand components of the field research, such as the fish fertilizer study, to better evaluate a number of factors which may be relevant to low-input production. Importantly, this funding allowed the researchers to conduct field work and data analyses themselves. "In the past we've always been short-funded and had to scale back or ask others to complete our work--that can be hit or miss and is always frustrating.
"Yet, it's important to have the technology in place to allow growers to reduce inputs," he said, "whether they are responding to regulations, or want to enter a specialty market, or want to cut back for economic reasons. Farmers are hard-strapped to do this type of experimentation themselves, but through the partnership we have in this project we plan to adapt and demonstrate low-input technology for this region."
Vigue expects to go through at least three growing seasons to gather enough data to develop management recommendations. In the meantime, research prog-ress and updates will be shared at field days and through SWCD publications.
"It's a challenge to control pests without chemicals, but the corn on ridge-till looked good this year," Vigue said.
"Corn on the high-end of fish fertilizer rates looked darker, taller and a little more robust than the corn receiving no fish emulsion."
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