SOCIOECONOMICS OF ALTERNATIVE TILLAGE SYSTEMS

Socio-economic as well as technical aspects of conventional (autumn mo uldboard plough), full-width no plough (chisel plough) and no tillage systems are compared from the viewpoints of farmers, non-farm public, and society as a whole. Either form of conservation tillage helps to i ncrease protective surface residues, reduce soil erosion, maintain lon g-term soil productivity and reduce sediment and phosphorus loadings i nto watercourses. Reduced watercourse loadings translate into decrease d off-site damage costs (or externalities) in the form of lower costs to the public purse of cleaning up water used for agriculture, drinkin g, industry, wildlife habitat and recreation. Reduced externalities sh ould be sufficient to offset combined public (administration and polic y implementation) costs and any on-farm net costs of adopting and usin g conservation tillage. The net benefit or net cost outcomes of on-far m economics are dependent on such factors as natural resource endowmen ts (soil type and depth, topography, distance to watercourses, etc.), climate, types of crops grown and their rotational sequence, and farme r managerial capabilities with conservation tillage systems. An empiri cal application to a southern Ontario watershed indicates that net on- farm economic benefits of conservation tillage are possible, and, toge ther with reduced externalities through improved sport fishing facilit ies and reduced watercourse dredging costs, shows that overall net ben efits to society are possible. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.