Farmers And Experts Opinion On No-Tillage. Results Of A Survey In West-Europe And Nebraska (Usa)

For a survey on the experience with no-tillage crop production in the West-European countries questionnaires were send with the help of the participants of the EC-Concerted Action to no-till farmers as well as to experts. The same questionnaire was used for farmers and experts in Nebraska, USA. The critical view on the results turns out that there are considerable differences in the total assessment of the no-tillage system. Altogether the asked farmers using no-tillage on their farms assess no-tillage in a positive way with regard to agrotechnical, economical farm management and secondary to ecological factors. Reasons for limited expansion of the use of no-tillage are seen in the gap of advice and insufficient research results. On the, other hand the experts are more sceptical. Their opinion can be mainly put down to supported yield depression.