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The Economics of Alternative Tillage Systems, Crop Rotations, and Herbicide use on Three Representative East-Central Corn Belt Farms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

Marshall A. Martin ,
Marvin M. Schreiber ,
Jean Rosscup Riepe  and
J. Robert Bahr
Marshall A. Martin
Affiliation:
Supervisory Res. Agron. U.S. Dep. Agric., Agric. Res. Serv. and Agric. Econ., Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN 47907
Marvin M. Schreiber
Affiliation:
Supervisory Res. Agron. U.S. Dep. Agric., Agric. Res. Serv. and Agric. Econ., Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN 47907
Jean Rosscup Riepe
Affiliation:
Supervisory Res. Agron. U.S. Dep. Agric., Agric. Res. Serv. and Agric. Econ., Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN 47907
J. Robert Bahr
Affiliation:
Supervisory Res. Agron. U.S. Dep. Agric., Agric. Res. Serv. and Agric. Econ., Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN 47907
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Abstract

A linear programming model was used to determine which crop rotations and weed management systems result in the highest net farm income for each of three farm sizes (120, 240, and 480 hectares) under alternative tillage systems. Test plot data for the years 1981 through 1988 from the Purdue University Agronomy Farm, which has highly productive, well-drained soils, were analyzed. Net incomes for no-till tillage systems on all farms in the model were consistently and significantly lower than incomes for moldboard and chisel plow tillage systems due to slightly lower yields and substantially higher herbicide costs. Generally, net farm incomes were slightly higher with a moldboard plow versus chisel plow tillage system. Also, as farm size increased, per hectare net incomes increased. About 80% of the time under moldboard or chisel plow tillage systems, the model chose as optimal the lowest of three herbicide application rates. A corn/soybean rotation was chosen as optimal on 56% of the farm area analyzed, versus 25% for continuous corn and 13% for a corn/soybean/wheat rotation.

Keywords

Corn, Zea mays L. ‘DeKalb XL72AA’, ‘Callahan 766’, and ‘Callahan 772’soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. ‘Wells II’, ‘Miami’, ‘Century 21’, and ‘Century 84’wheat, Triticum aestivum L. ‘Beau’ and ‘Caldwell’Linear programmingalternative tillage systemsconservation tillagesustainable agricultureintegrated pest managementfarm incomeZea maysGlycine maxTriticum aestivum
Type
Special Topics
Information
Weed Science , Volume 39 , Issue 2 , June 1991 , pp. 299 - 307
Copyright
Copyright © 1991 Weed Science Society of America 

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References

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