Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
by using summer fallow every second or third year, prior to seeding win-
ter wheat. Summer fallow involves leaving the ground unplanted for a
year, with repeated tillage throughout the summer to control weeds. This
practice creates a “dust mulch,” which is generally effective at conserv-
ing enough moisture for germination, but it leaves soils exposed prior to
seeding the wheat.
During the mid 1980s, Kupers experimented with no-till strategies.
“Conservation tillage” is the broad term encompassing a collection of
reduced tillage practices, such as ridge till and no-till. Conservation
tillage strategies disturb the soil less and leave more crop residue on the
surface than does the conventional moldboard plow. With no-till, a
specialized grain drill places seed and fertilizer directly in the ground
without preparing a conventional seed bed, making it even less disrup-
tive than ridge till. Crop residue remains on the soil surface to reduce
erosion by wind and water. No-till systems tend to increase soil organic
matter and encourage biological activity in it, depending on herbicides to
control weeds and make sure crop plants are able to out-compete them.
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Kupers planted canola using conservation tillage in 1986, but the crop
failed to establish, so he re-planted 300 acres of perennial, native grasses.
He harvested the seeds and sold them to public agencies for habitat
restoration, and discovered the potential of an alternative, niche market.
Once he figured out a few details, the native grasses seemed to grow
rather easily in this area. Over time he noticed that the soil in this field
was softer and more friable. Plus, it maintained moisture and seemed less
vulnerable to erosion.
Many of Kupers's neighbors also had experienced crop failures with
no-till, giving this strategy a bad name. No-till had developed in the
wheat and corn/soy farming regions of the American Midwest. It did not
translate easily to the Pacific Northwest, however, because this region
does not receive summer rain. In 1995, the Monsanto Corporation paid
for Kupers and a dozen other innovative farmers to visit Pierre, South
Dakota, and Dwayne Beck's research farm to discuss how conservation
tillage might be adapted to the Pacific Northwest.
The Dakota Lakes Research Farm was started by a group of farmers
who were interested in enhancing the ability of South Dakota State
University do applied research. The group of farmers wanted local con-
trol of the research; however, this land-grant university did not have the
