Economics: No-till versus Conventional Tillage

The most economical tillage system depends upon a number of factors, and the most economical system for one farm may not be the most economi-cal for an adjacent farm. In this chapter, we identify factors that may tip the scales in favor of one system over another. Prior to the implementation of the 1996 Farm Bill (Freedom to Farm Bill), the vast majority of Oklaho-ma dry-land crop acres were seeded to continuous monoculture hard red winter wheat. In 1975, more than 96 percent of the cropland in Garfield County was seeded to winter wheat. By 1995, the propor-tion seeded to wheat, excluding land in the Con-servation Reserve Program, had increased to mor