ISU Extension News

Extension Communications
Extension 4-H Youth Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3630
(515) 294-9915

4/5/04

Contacts:
Mark Hanna, Ag and Biosystems Engineering, (515) 294-0468, hmhanna@iastate.edu
Jean McGuire, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515) 294-7033, jmcguire@iastate.edu

Conservation Tillage Book and CD-ROM Are Now Available

Any farmer currently using or thinking about adopting a conservation tillage system has two excellent resources available from Midwest Plan Service (MWPS). The book Conservation Tillage Systems and Management (second edition) has been expanded to 270 pages and provides information for corn, soybean, wheat and cotton farmers. The new Conservation Tillage CD-ROM includes the entire book, plus four smaller books, video clips and PowerPoint presentations in an easy-to-use format.

"The benefits of conservation tillage include soil erosion management, water conservation, improved soil tilth, lower input costs and labor efficiency," says Mark Hanna, extension agriculture engineer, Iowa State University.

According to Hanna, these resources from MWPS are an excellent value for those interested in learning more about conservation tillage. The second edition of Conservation Tillage Systems and Management: Crop Residue Management with No-till, Ridge-till, Mulch-till, and Strip-till, MWPS-45, provides detailed discussions about virtually all aspects of the subject.

Among the book's 29 chapters are sections devoted to crop response to tillage systems, costs and returns, wind and water erosion, crop residue and irrigation water management, and water quality. Also included are chapters about nutrient management; weed, insect, rodent and disease management; and precision agriculture. Other chapters discuss residue management at harvest, estimating residue cover, soil compaction, controlled traffic and converting CRP to crop production.

The book also has chapters that explain tillage system selection and describe no-till planting equipment, ridge-till planting equipment, no-till drills, row-crop cultivators and pesticide application equipment. Approximately 120 line drawings and color photographs along with 72 tables enhance the text and provide visual examples of the book's main points. The book has two appendixes. One depicts representative tillage implements and the other presents rainfall and temperature data maps.

Conservation Tillage Systems and Management was prepared under the direction of the MWPS Crop Production Committee, chaired by Randall Reeder, extension agriculture engineer, Ohio State University. More than 60 university and industry specialists including agricultural and biological engineers, extension specialists, conservationists, entomologists, plant pathologists, weed and soil scientists and agronomists contributed to the publication.

Conservation Tillage Systems and Management, MWPS-45, is available for $25 per copy. The CD-ROM alone is also $25. If a person orders both, the cost is $35, a 30% discount. Shipping and handling is $5.50 for single copies shipped in the U.S. If ordering multiple copies, please contact MWPS for shipping rates and possible quantity discounts. Order online at the catalog section of the MWPS Web site, www.mwpshq.org, by phone at (800) 562-3618, by fax at (515) 294-9589, by e-mail at mwps@iastate,edu, or by mail from MWPS, 122 Davidson Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011-3080.

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