Assessing the Impact of No-Till and Conventional-Till on
Crop, Variety, Soil, Insect, and Disease Responses
Statement of Problem to be Addressed:
No-till (NT) crop production provides many benefits and
opportunities for growers to greatly reduce soil erosion, enhance soil properties,
increase water use efficiency, improve crop productivity, reduce costs, and minimize
equipment inventory and use. However, many production challenges in no-till management
systems can override the benefits. These production challenges are greatest during the
‘transition phase’ of NT adoption when all the potential problems of NT must be
dealt with, but the long term benefits of NT have not been established to compensate or
overcome those problems. Low soil temperatures and crop residue can make seeding difficult
and reduce early plant growth in NT. Insect, disease and weed problems need different
management approaches in NT. Pest problems associated with crop residue are particularly
troublesome in NT. Information and new technologies about crop, variety, soil, insect and
disease will help solve these problems inherent in conservation practices, particularly
NT, in the high rainfall areas of the Pacific Northwest.
Agronomic zone of interest: High Rainfall, Palouse
Production System: Annual cropping, high precipitation, three year rotation,
wheat-barley-pea
Specific Objectives:
Evaluate crop and variety performance differences between NT and CT production
systems in a replicated tillage trial for winter wheat, spring barley, spring wheat, and
dry pea
Determine changes in total SOM and quality of the SOM in NT and CT systems on
different landscape positions
Determine the impact of CT and NT on soil fauna and document changes in total
porosity and pore size distribution on different landscape positions
Evaluate incidence and severity of insect pests and their natural enemies on wheat,
barley and pea grown under NT and CT practices
Evaluate root disease incidence and severity of Rhizoctonia root rot, Fusarium
spp., and Pseudocercosporella foot rot in winter and spring wheat and barley under
NT and CT. Correlate disease with SOM, pore size distribution, and landscape position.
Expected outcomes and anticipated impacts:
Information and technology from this work will help growers,
other crop production workers, and IPM personnel to manage changes in crop residue, soil
properties, insect pressure, the incidence of beneficial insects, and root diseases in the
transition phase of NT crop production. This information and technology will show an
integrated crop system response for the interactions of many attributes of the crops,
tillage, soil, residue, insect, and disease components in NT and CT. This information can
be a foundation for retooling to optimize productivity under NT in the high rainfall areas
of the PNW and beyond.
Information generated on responses of the crops, varieties,
soil, residue, insects, and diseases in NT and CT will be made available to growers and
IPM personnel through demonstrations and field days. Results will be presented at grower
meetings, crop schools, field days, commodity commission reviews, and at the PNW Direct
Seeding Conference. Educational materials, including Extension bulletins and reports
directed towards growers, will be developed. Data gathered will be published in
peer-reviewed journals. Results will be disseminated on a regular basis through the
University of Idaho Cooperative Extension newsletters, for the Conservation Tillage
Handbook update series, and for the Pacific Northwest STEEP Conservation Farming Systems
Information Source web page.