Comparison of Reduced Tillage Cropping Systems for Onions Mulched No-Till vs. Cover Cropped Ridge Till Fall Oats Growing on Ridges Following Spring Mulch of Winterkilled Oats on Ridges Mulch No-Till Slit made in soil for hand planting onions Ridge-Till top removed Lightly tilled Cover Crop Ridge-Till Hand planted onions Mulch No-Till Mulch of wheat straw in valleys for moisture and erosion control C.C. Ridge-Till 2 cultivations Single seed hairy vetch as living mulch for erosion control Mulch No-Till Cover Crop Ridge-Till Ridge-Tillage with Vetch versus No-till Ridges with Straw Mulch Inputs Soil Quality Soil Temperature Crop Value Crop Production Moisture Yield Inputs (per 300 ft. row) Mulched Cover Crop + Labor ($10/hr) No-till Ridge-till Seedbed Preparation 3 min 6 min Cultivation min Mulching1 hr 30 min Interseeding and min Vine Trimming Hand-weeding 1 hr 45 min 35 min Materials Mulch $ Vetch Seed $0.30 Total:$42.00 $9.30 Inputs: Scale 100 = $0 input 0 = $100 Results: Mulch No tillCC. Ridge till Input:$42.00$9.30 Scale:5891 Inputs Soil Quality Soil Temperature Crop value production cost Moisture Yield Ridge-Tillage with Vetch vs No-till Ridges with Straw Mulch Soil Moisture No-Till Ridge-Till Rainfall Soil Water Potential Date Rainfall (in) Moisture: Scale No Irrigation, => more moisture better 0 = = 100 Results: No till with mulch CC. Ridge till Average Moisture Reading8966 Inputs Soil Quality Soil Temperature Crop value production cost Moisture Yield Ridge-Tillage with Vetch vs No-till Ridges with Straw Mulch Yield & Quality Yield Sample Mulch No- TillC.C. Ridge Till Total #74 Rotten #817 Good #6655 Yield lbs Avg lbs per bulb # Crates per Row Yield: Scale 100 = 8 crates (= ~10 ton/ac) 0 = 0 crates Results: No till with mulchCC. Ridge till crates scale9472 Inputs Soil Quality Soil Temperature Crop value production cost Moisture Yield Ridge-Tillage with Vetch vs No-till Ridges with Straw Mulch Soil Temperature Soil Temperature: Scale and Results No significant difference between treatments Ideal temperature for onions: 55 o 75 o F during growth In dry/hot year, no-till would conserve more moisture and stable temperature Both treatments scaled: 100 for moderate & = temperatures Inputs Soil Quality Soil Temperature Crop value production cost Moisture Yield Ridge-Tillage with Vetch vs No-till Ridges with Straw Mulch Soil Quality No Till + Mulch Average Ridge Till + vetch Average 12 worms/ft 2 Earthworm Count Infiltration Soil Fertility 41.4 in/hr40.3 in/hr no difference Inputs Soil Quality Soil Temperature Crop value production cost Moisture Yield Ridge-Tillage with Vetch vs No-till Ridges with Straw Mulch Profit Margin Crop Value cost of production Straw Mulched No-Till : $ 75 - $ 42 = $ 33 C.C. Ridge-Till : $ 9.30 = $ 48.20 Inputs Soil Quality Soil Temperature Crop value production cost Moisture Yield Ridge-Tillage with Vetch vs No-till Ridges with Straw Mulch Inputs Soil Quality Soil Temperature Crop value - production cost Moisture Yield Ridge-Tillage with Vetch vs No-till Ridges with Straw Mulch Summary of Results Soil moisture If drought year: problematic in ridge till w/ vetch Vetch takes up moisture, may reduce yield Yields, soil moisture, & temperature were similar in 2003