The Economic, Agronomic and Environmental Impact of No-Till on the Canadian Prairies

The Economic, Agronomic and Environmental Impact of No-Till on the Canadian Prairies
Author: Mirza N. Baig and Peter M. Gamache
Date Created: August 25, 2009
Last Reviewed: August 25, 2009
In recent years on the Canadian Prairies considerable research has been done on the characterization of no-tillage advantages. Despite the fact that the findings sometimes seem to be contradictory, it is important to synthesize the research results and present the arguments and the supporting data as objectively as possible to allow growers to develop appropriate techniques for their situations. The primary objective of this report is to summarize all the economic, agronomic and environmental benefits of no-till in western Canada with especial emphasis on Alberta. A secondary objective is to identify gaps in our current knowledge about no-till in Alberta and apply information from elsewhere in North America to fill these gaps. What are the benefits of quantifying the no-till system? • Growers and the general public can better appreciate what no-till does for the environment when they see quantitative proof of the difference it can make, and be more open to further no-till developments • No-tillage stakeholders (boards, governments, NGOs) benefit from the positive PR and react favorably to positive environmental news • Growers become aware that there are multiple environmental, and agronomic benefits of no-till to society; it’s not just private economic benefit • Proof of a “green” advantage can make any business more attractive and competitive in the current environmentally aware market. Your comments about the report are welcome. Click on the pdf for the complete report (1.5 MB)