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Farms convert to direct seed/no-till system to reduce erosion
August 16, 2007 17-07
News media contact:
- Joli Munkers, North Sherman/Grass Valley Watershed Councils, 541-565-3216 ext. 109, Joli.munkers@or.nacdnet.net
- Monte Turner, OWEB in Salem, 503-986-0195
Lottery funds conversion of 3,888 acres in Sherman County
With help from Oregon Lottery funds, farmers in Sherman County are bringing in their first harvest under a new direct seed/no-till system that will reduce erosion and sediment in streams.
The changes will improve watershed health and fish habitat in the Mid-Columbia Hood and Grass Valley watersheds.
Using a direct seed tillage system, producers seed crops directly into the previous crop residue without conventional tillage. “Retention of crop residues on the soil surface improves the soil’s ability to absorb and hold water and can reduce erosion significantly,” said Joli Munkers, coordinator of the Sherman County Area Watershed Councils. The organization assisted the landowners with designing and funding the project.
Installation of direct seed practices combined with numerous conservation practices already installed, such as cropland terraces and water and sediment control basins, create cumulative protection that will improve overall watershed health, Munkers said.
“Identifying a system that is economically viable from year to year is one of the biggest challenges in developing a direct seeding cropping practice,” Munkers said. Making the change from conventional tillage to a direct seeding system involves more than just buying equipment and reducing tillage, she said. Crop, climate, soil, production costs, and crop prices all influence the transition to a direct seeding operation, she added. To help offset these initial costs, landowners receive an incentive payment of $22.50 per acre for up to 500 acres they convert to direct seed.
With a total project cost of converting the 3,888 acres to a direct seed system estimated at $404,700, other partners were sought to defray the cost. The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) granted $102,100 in Oregon Lottery funds and landowners contributed $301,320 as cash match over the four-year project period. Other project partners include North Sherman and Grass Valley watershed councils, Sherman County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Implementation of conservation practices helps protect Sherman County’s important steelhead spawning, rearing, and migration habitat in the Lower John Day, Lower Deschutes, and their tributaries, Munkers said.
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