Save Un-Replaceable Diesel Fuel Around the Globe
Here in the United States we have completed several years of studies at five research sites associated with Orthman field research efforts concerning the reduction in diesel consumption while strip-tilling row crops. Those sites are Central California, one site in Front Range of Colorado, another in Eastern Colorado, south central Nebraska and at Texas A&M Stiles Foundation Farm. Each site has reported that in comparison with conventional full width tillage approaches, strip-till consumes between 48 and 55% less all the way from pre-plant tillage through harvest.
On an average 1500 acre (607 ha) row crop farm of conventionally tilled fields that consume 18 to 45 gallons per acre (gpa) or we have seen in South Africa consumption at 70 to 112L/hectare is common for growers and also the entire United States. We have reduced that with strip-till to 8.5 to 21 gpa here in the States.
This method of cropland preparation and raising crops has immense impact in how we not only farm but become a farming society that gets the GOING GREEN picture. Being conservation tillage minded about how we raise corn, soybeans, grain sorghum, cotton, dry edible beans and more demonstrates that American farmers are leaders and innovators.