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St. Louis, Missouri
March 19, 2001
Conservation tillage (Con-till) techniques were used on an additional 12.3 million acres
in the United States last year, according to a tracking analysis by Doane Marketing Research, Inc.
Con-till was used on more than 65 million acres in 2000, including 31.9 million soybean acres, 23.2 million corn acres, 5.8 million cotton acres
and 4.2 million wheat acres. The Doane study found that U.S. growers have totally eliminated tillage on 24.1 percent of corn acres and 27.3
percent of soybean acreage.
"With higher costs for labor, diesel and irrigation, I'm not surprised that more growers are looking at the economic and agronomic benefits of
conservation tillage," says Ross Bushnell, Monsanto (NYSE: MON) Director of U.S. Marketing. "Besides saving up to 3.5 gallons of fuel and
$5 worth of machinery wear and tear, a grower can gain an extra half-hour of time for each acre shifted from conventional tillage to no-till.
Farmers today appreciate every extra minute they can spend improving their farm management, expanding their acreage, earning off-farm
income, or simply enjoying a higher quality of life."
The growth in no-till corn and soybean acres parallels the use of products specifically designed for use in reduced-tillage systems, the Doane
study shows. Corn acres receiving a burndown treatment grew by 44 percent between 1998 and 2000, while soybean acres receiving a
burndown treatment grew by more than 17 percent during the same period. Even in cold northern climates with low no-till adoption, the study
found more growers are trying strip-till and other modified tillage techniques.
"Our research shows conservation tillage is now used on more than a third, or 36.7 percent, of U.S. acreage. That's more than 109 million
acres," says Dan Towery of the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC). "While the CTIC and Doane studies used different
methodology and definitions, they both show that no-till is clearly on an upswing. We project that no-till could grow from 52 million acres to 88
million acres nationwide by 2005."
Tony Jones of Mt. Olive, NC, converted all his cotton acreage to no-till in 2000. "I have increased production by one-third (from 1,400 to 2,100
acres), and I haven't had to make any more equipment purchases," he says. "It worked like a charm last year. We see substantial savings
through planting with no-till, but the efficiency is the biggest benefit. We can do so much more with less equipment and labor."
Towery says farmers have access to several new technologies that are no-till enablers. "We've got better equipment that can handle high
residue, including planters, drills and air seeders, plus new seed that performs well even in cold, damp soil. With Roundup Ready soybeans,
cotton and corn, farmers can start fresh with a preplant burndown and control weeds without spring
cultivation."
Bushnell says Monsanto is committed to offering technologies that make it easier for growers to reduce tillage without sacrificing yield. The
company also offers several programs to help growers expand their con-till acres:
1. The Bottom-Line Booster Guarantee shares the risk for Midwest growers who enroll by March 31 to try the Roundup Ready soybean system
in reduced tillage. If it's not more profitable than a conventional seed and tillage system, Monsanto will refund the difference up to $20 per
acre.
2. Monsanto's Centers of Excellence demonstration farms test conservation- tillage techniques to help determine the best management
practices for each area, not just a "one size fits all" recommendation.
3. Asgrow and DeKalb have identified several Roundup Ready corn and soybean varieties that offer excellent emergence, vigor,
disease resistance and yield in high-residue systems. "Growers can feel confident that seed with the Residue Proven arrow will perform well in all types of tillage systems," says Bushnell.
In the announcement of a New Monsanto "Pledge" recently, CEO Hendrik Verfaillie reaffirmed the company's commitment to helping grow
conservation- tillage acres. Besides the benefits to growers, reducing tillage helps the environment by reducing nutrient and pesticide runoff by
more than 70 percent and soil erosion by up to 90 percent.
Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a leading global provider of technology- based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm
productivity and food quality. For more information on Monsanto, see
http://www.monsanto.com .
Grain/commodities harvested from Roundup Ready corn and Roundup Ready corn with YieldGard are approved for U.S. food and feed use, but
not yet approved in certain export markets, where approval is not likely to be received before the end of 2001. As a result, the grower is
restricted from introducing such grain/commodities into channels of trade where the potential for export to such markets exists. The grower
must channel such grain/commodities for feeding on-farm, use in domestic feedlots or other uses in domestic markets only. Growers should
refer to Monsanto's Technology Use Guide for information on crop stewardship regarding the potential movement of pollen to neighboring crops.
For assistance in locating domestic outlets for corn grain/commodities, view the ASTA web site at
http://www.amseed.org or contact
Monsanto at 1-800-768-6387.
Asgrow(R), Roundup Ready(R), YieldGard(R) and Residue Proven(TM) are trademarks of Monsanto Company.
Company news release
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