Two-thirds of farmers use no till method

A survey of Iowa farmers finds conservation and no-till farming methods are being used on about two-thirds of Iowa ag ground. Larry Beeler of the Natural Resource Conservation Service says the survey asked farmers if and how they plowed, disked and tilled their fields.Rather than plow under corn stalks and bean roots in the fall, some farmers leave the plant residue in the ground to keep the soil from eroding in the next growing season. That’s a method used by about one-third of Iowa farmers, according to this survey. Another third “conserve” plant residue, but run a disc over the ground before planting.Beeler hopes more farmers adopt conservation tillage methods.Beeler is a resource conservationist with the U-S-D-A’s Natural Resource Conservation Service. Soil conservation district commissioners are meeting in West Des Moines this week for their 54th annual state conference.