No-till and Water Conservation
Perhaps water conservation could be considered the ultimate achievement in no-till farming as ground cover reduces evaporation rates dramatically, and in the Klamath Basin water conservation is a very high priority. Conservation tillage systems (no-till or minimum tillage) have proven to significantly reduce soil moisture losses.
Irrigators in the
Klamath Basin may not be given full deliveries of water for irrigation
in the foreseeable future. The
demand and competition for water by various entities in the Basin will
only continue to increase. If agriculture is going to survive in our
area, it is imperative that new and different conservation tillage and
other agriculture practices must be implemented.
Under conservation tillage, the implement directly applies seeds without plowing or turning over the soil. The crop residue buffers the raindrops' and wind's energy, so there is less erosive force acting upon the soil. Protection provided by the residue, along with the rougher surface that prevails after the drilling, facilitates infiltration and decreases runoff and wind erosion. Since soil moisture content is retained, conservation tillage conserves water.
No-till and Water
Conservation
No-till and Water Quality
What crops can be planted?
No-till and Weed Control
No-till and Crop Yields
No-till and Sustainable Agriculture