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i know a good deal about the dust bowl, just not the magnitude of plowing numbers
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farmers would till/upturn their soil 12-15 times per year
I'd take that claim with a pinch of salt if I was you. My father and all of his siblings and extended family across North America were farmers during the dust bowl days, they didn't do nonsense like that.
At the end of the day, unless the unthinkable occurs, farmers have an ever-increasing responsibility to provide food to an increasing population, one that is increasing at an alarming rate. As much as I hate to admit it, the "back in the day" farming tactics simply can't keep up with the increasing demand forever, and at some point we have no choice but to turn to science for help.
I'm no farmer. I'm married to a farmer's daughter though, a family who has farmed the same land in eastern NC since the late 1700's (yes, that includes tobacco too). But we're about as close to the farming landscape as the local farmer's market in the parking lot of Costco now. But, I do know statistics, and the numbers don't lie. While we have the luxury of stocked grocery stores every 3 miles, we're far from the norm.
I applaud the OP's post and the purpose of this thread. I openly admit that mankind is flawed by it's arrogance, and science is usually the vehicle that leads him to stupidity. Therefore, I am happy that there are those out there who are working to keep mother nature's intent intact for as long as possible. Because at the end of the day, she's been around a heck of a lot longer than us arrogant chumps, and she'll be here long after we've become toxic worm food. But until then, more food is needed throughout the world.
When I was young no farm ever used herbicides thus all farms were organic.
Certified Organic was originated in 1970.
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... Others tried it since but it required a lot of herbicides and was very difficult before RoundUp was invented.
I remember using Paraquat as a teenager. I know there were others, that is the only name that stuck with me, our county Ag agent was very insistent that we be careful with it.
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... Please inform where/when all those no til ORGANIC farmers were that the conventional farmers copied ?
A previous poster said that organic no-till was only made possible by roundup ready crops.
Which is why I said it makes no sense to me. Organic practice IS NOT possible only because of roundup.
My bad, I read 'reducing tillage' and my mind went immediately to no-till.
Okay what is the distinction between reducing tillage and no-till practice?
The best examples is how farmers near me dealt with last years corn fields going into this year soybeans
No til......soybeans are planted directly into the soil between the rows of last year's stalks
reduced.......field is gone over with an implement that has a row of notched disc blades and tillage shanks.
possibly harrowed for leveling then beans planted
old way..........corn field moldboard plowed, disked, harrowed , then beans planted
The best example of no til is CRP grass converting back to crops and leaving the program.
Sprayed with RoundUp to kill all grass, then a notil planter plants soybeans directly into the sod.
A neighbor said he tried doing it with corn, but soybeans worked better for the 1st year and soybeans loosens the soil making corn planting easier for the 2nd year.
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