Conservation at Work video series provides information on conservation practices

How much fuel can farmers save each year by transitioning from conventional tillage to continuous no-till?

According to a report from USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), 3.6 gallons per acre is a reasonable estimate. With current off-road diesel fuel prices, this could translate into about $17 per acre saved annually.

Nearly 87% of all cropland acres nationwide are farmed using some form of conservation tillage, where tillage is reduced for at least one crop within a given field. Continuous no-till accounts for 33% of this total.

Improving soil health is one known benefit of limiting disturbance. Farmers who minimize tillage across their operation may reduce soil erosion, maximize water infiltration, improve nutrient cycling, build organic matter and strengthen resilience to disaster events or challenging growing conditions. Based on the latest data, they also may use significantly less fuel than with conventional tillage and reduce their associated carbon dioxide emissions.

According to CEAP, farmers who implement conservation tillage practices instead of continuousconventional tillage:

• Reduce potential nationwide fuel use by 763 million gallons of diesel equivalents each year, roughly theamount of energy used by 2.8 million households.

• Reduce potential associated emissions by 8.5 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) equivalents each year,equivalent to removing nearly 1.7 million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles from the road.

How the fuel, emission reductions are possible

Annually, farmers who practice continuous no-till use about 3.6 fewer gallons of fuel per acre than if they practiced continuous conventional tillage. Farmers who practice seasonal no-till – farming without tilling for at least one crop – use about three fewer gallons of fuel per acre than they would with conventional tillage year-round.

Acre by acre, fuel saved is money saved. Let’s assume an average off-road diesel fuel price of $4.75 per gallon. By transitioning from continuous conventional tillage to continuous no-till, a farmer can save just over $17 per acre each year in fuel costs. A farmer who transitions from continuous conventional tillage to seasonal no-till can save more than $14 per acre on fuel annually. These potential savings are significantly larger than with CEAP’s first fuel savings report , primarily due to the current price of diesel fuel.

The bottom line for farmers: Reducing tillage leads to fuel savings that deliver significant financial benefits while building healthier soils for a more resilient operation.

NRCS can help with reducing tillage, conservation efforts

NRCS has USDA Service Centers in nearly every county across the United States. NRCS staff are available to provide free, one-on-one assistance with a suite of practices to strengthen your operation, conserve natural resources and boost your bottom line. SMART nutrient management , for example, is important to consider with no-till and may help you save money on fertilizer while improving water quality – another win-win.

Visit the new NRCS website to learn more about conservation basics, getting assistance from NRCS, programs and initiatives, and resources to inform management decisions. Visit the new CEAP webpage for additional information about USDA’s efforts to quantify the effects of conservation practices across croplands and other working lands.

Conservation at Work video series

A video series from NRCS and farmers.gov, Conservation at Work, presents short and easy to understandvideos about popular conservation practices. The videos feature producers explaining how an individualpractice helps their land and why they are using it.

The videos shine the spotlight on farmers, ranchers and forestland owners from across the U.S. who explain why they’ve implemented the conservation practices and how they work on their land. They also provide insight into how each practice is helping them protect and improve resources and save time and money.

We’ve got videos showcasing high tunnels, no-till, cover crops, prescribed grazing, and many more.

Check out the Conservation at Work video series at farmers.gov/conserve/conservationatwork.

Jason Ruhl is the district conservationist for Ashland County.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Reducing tillage leads to fuel savings, money savings for farmers