Abstract
Conversion of irrigated cropland from conventional tillage (CT) to no‐till (NT) could have several environmental benefits including reduced erosion potential, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and conservation of water. However NT must be economically viable if it is to be adopted. Costs of production and economic returns were evaluated for an irrigated, continuous corn ( Zea mays L.) system under CT and NT over 6 yr on a clay loam soil in northern Colorado. Yield responses to N fertilization were included to determine economic optimum fertilization rates under each tillage system. Corn grain yields at economic optimum N fertilizer rates were 1.1 to 1.4 Mg ha −1 lower for NT than for CT. However, net returns were $46 to 74 ha −1 higher for NT than for CT due to reductions in operating costs of $57 to 114 ha −1 and reductions in machinery ownership costs of $87 to 90 ha −1 . Operating cost savings were realized largely due to fuel and labor reductions of 75% and 71 to 72%, respectively, and in spite of higher N fertilizer requirements of 16 to 55 kg ha −1 for NT compared to CT. No‐till, irrigated, continuous corn appears to be an economically viable option for replacing CT production systems in the central Great Plains, especially when combined with the environmental benefits of the NT system.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
At economic optimum N rates, no-till corn grain yields were 1.1 to 1.4 Mg ha −1 lower than conventional tillage.
- Taxon
- corn
Zea mays subsp. mayse1 - Treatment
- NTe0
- Outcome
- Corn grain yieldse0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Value
- 1.1 to 1.4 Mg ha −1e0
- Comparator
- CTe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Corn grain yields at economic optimum N fertilizer rates were 1.1 to 1.4 Mg ha −1 lower for NT than for CT.”
e1“corn ( Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
No-till net returns were $46 to 74 ha −1 higher than conventional tillage.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse1
- Treatment
- NTe0
- Outcome
- net returnse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- $46 to 74 ha −1e0
- Comparator
- CTe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“net returns were $46 to 74 ha −1 higher for NT than for CT”
e1“corn ( Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
No-till operating costs were $57 to 114 ha −1 lower.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse2
- Treatment
- NTe1
- Outcome
- operating costse0
- Direction
- reductionse0
- Value
- $57 to 114 ha −1e0
- Comparator
- CTe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“reductions in operating costs of $57 to 114 ha −1”
e1“higher for NT than for CT due to”
e2“corn ( Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
No-till machinery ownership costs were $87 to 90 ha −1 lower.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse2
- Treatment
- NTe1
- Outcome
- machinery ownership costse0
- Direction
- reductionse0
- Value
- $87 to 90 ha −1e0
- Comparator
- CTe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“reductions in machinery ownership costs of $87 to 90 ha −1”
e1“higher for NT than for CT due to”
e2“corn ( Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
No-till fuel costs were reduced by 75%.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse2
- Treatment
- NTe1
- Outcome
- fuele0
- Direction
- reductionse0
- Value
- 75%e0
- Comparator
- CTe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fuel and labor reductions of 75% and 71 to 72%, respectively”
e1“for NT compared to CT”
e2“corn ( Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
No-till labor costs were reduced by 71 to 72%.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse2
- Treatment
- NTe1
- Outcome
- labore0
- Direction
- reductionse0
- Value
- 71 to 72%e0
- Comparator
- CTe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fuel and labor reductions of 75% and 71 to 72%, respectively”
e1“for NT compared to CT”
e2“corn ( Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
No-till required 16 to 55 kg ha −1 more N fertilizer than conventional tillage.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse1
- Treatment
- NTe0
- Outcome
- N fertilizer requirementse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 16 to 55 kg ha −1e0
- Comparator
- CTe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“higher N fertilizer requirements of 16 to 55 kg ha −1 for NT compared to CT”
e1“corn ( Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors consider no-till irrigated continuous corn economically viable for replacing conventional tillage in the central Great Plains.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Outcome
- economically viable option for replacing CT production systemse0
- Setting
- central Great Plainse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“No‐till, irrigated, continuous corn appears to be an economically viable option for replacing CT production systems in the central Great Plains”
The same questions in other papers
tillage · molecular: metabolites · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
24 papers in the same direction as this paper · 7 in the opposite direction · 2 reporting no difference from an alternative
- no effect
- negative
- negative
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See all 34 papers →tillage · yield · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
811 papers in the same direction as this paper · 230 in the opposite direction · 57 reporting no difference from an alternative
- no effect
- no effect
- positive
1,095 papers more in this group
See all 1,099 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.